February 1948. The struggle of decisive social forces for the heart of Europe.

A South Bohemian cantorial romance about the search for human happiness.

The story follows three middle‑aged gentlemen—Antonín, Canon Roch, and Major Hugo—who while away their rainy summer days at a neglected riverside spa. Their languid routine is briefly enlivened by a traveling magician and his assistant Anna, whom they vie to impress with whimsical flair.

A painter, whose art and views diverge considerably from the conventional society of a small American town, is suspected of murdering his wife. When passions are unleashed against him during a local election, he saves his life by fleeing to a cave in the nearby forest and from there, with the help of children whose trust he has gained, he organizes a successful search for the real murderer in the form of a children's game.