Most of us say the word "Mama" without thinking. But there are children who have never uttered this word in their lives. The film is about these children, orphans. In these children, no less love than in each of us. And they are waiting. Sometimes too long. But they never cease to believe for a second that one day they will be able to say this simple word. The word "Mama" ...

August 1960. Director Nikolai Berentsev is working on a large-scale science fiction film about an expedition to Venus. The construction of grandiose decorations begins in the pavilion. Berentsev himself develops models of planets and spacecraft, comes up with special devices for combined filming. He tries to imagine and visualize something that no one has ever seen — life on other planets. He believes that fantasy should run ahead of science, but faces skepticism from colleagues and the scientific community. In the end, he himself begins to doubt whether his film is needed by the audience, why these dreams of Space, when there are so many unresolved problems on Earth.