The Great Patriotic War is coming to an end. Six-year-old Zuriko lives with his grandmother in a small Georgian village. His mother abandoned him and his father is at the front. The boy waits for his father, but he doesn't come back from the war alone, but with a new wife, Iano. A conflict arises between the three.

A group of geologists discover oil under the fields where Sosana, the aged and anachronistic father, raises his herd with his unhappy wife, her friend and his growing boy with whom he displays a wonderful rapport. The land is invaded by big machinery that feels remarkably alien to the serene and natural aesthetic of the valley. The family all enjoys the pleasures and storytelling capacity a slide projector grants them, but it too feels distinctly out of place in a town with no plumbing.

The film tells the story of three elderly musicians who preserve the charm of old Tbilisi in their modern life. Their children died in the war, and those who were left without descendants were left with only their faithful spouses to take care of them. They exist with memories of the past and set excellent examples of philanthropy to those around them.

Vazha served his sentence for stealing a cow and returned to the village. Upon his return, he decided to repair the house. His friends promised to help, but then everyone had their own business.

A young shepherd abandons his family's traditional way of life, as well as his young love, when he succumbs to the allure of urban living.