A young boy is on vacation at the beach with his family. He becomes bored and wanders onto the set of a television production about pirates aboard a ship.

The reconstruction of creation of an influential avantguarde movement called "Novo Mesto Spring" that arrived on Slovenian cultural scene during 1920s. Within this movement worked significant local artists such as composer Mario Kogoj, painter Rihard Jakopic, poet Danijel Bohoric and many others.

In 1940, shortly before the outbreak of war, a young boy Marjan lives a carefree life with his gang in Ljubljana, experiencing all the problems of his age. With Lenka he's experiencing his first "pure" love, while discovering sexuality... The Italian occupation brings many changes, gang breaks up, some join the liberation movement, the others join collaborationist forces. Marjan remain "unlisted". Italians surrender, and hand over the city to Germans. Frivolous Milena, who has good connections with them, seduces Marjan whom she lost her innocence with. The war is over and the partisans win. The new authorities mistakenly imprison Marjan.