Sultanmurat is a 14 year old boy who lives in a small Kyrgyz village. All the men have gone off to war so he is left alone to tend to the horses who are weak with hunger.

A tiny Kyrgyz aul in the mountains is slated for demolition, and its people must move to a collective farm. Young shepherd Kanat sets out for the city to study, but after being deceived, he chooses to stay, realizing he must first learn the art of living among people. The village elders, guided by timeless moral values, shape the destinies of the characters, rooted in a deep sense of belonging and communal spirit.