After the army, Emzar returns to Inguri. Gual, the top lumberjack, cuts young trees to surpass plans. Tamara, secretly in love with Gual, exposes his methods, straining his friendship with Emzar. At a festival, Emzar wins a horse race and Manol, Gual’s love, announces her marriage to Emzar. A year later, Gual is sullen. During a storm, he cuts young trees, pushing Emzar into a ravine. Manol goes into labour, and Gual carries her to the hospital, where she gives birth to a boy. He then rescues Emzar and brings him to the village, where Tamara meets him.

Second World War. The fascists attack Svaneti. Old Betkili, whose son was killed in the war, lives far from the village. The old man comes across a Soviet soldier, Lasha, and shelters him in the mountains, but soon finds the soldier’s behavior suspicious.