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

This adaptation of the classic 18th century novel depicts the carefree life of a noble society that has lost its historical relevance and perspective. The young nobleman de Meilcour narrates his entry into social life and the uncertainties he experiences. He searches for pure love, but does not find it in a corrupt world. He encounters vice, coldness, cynicism and pretense.

The life of the Ťapák family is joyless. Twelve of them live in one room, no one considers that it is possible to live differently. They have already gotten used to it - they have no desire to change anything - after all, it has been that way for a long time. The heaviness of the Ťapák house is only disturbed by the bride Iľa, Paľ's wife. She is a midwife in the village. But they only want one thing - to have peace, quiet. This is how it goes day after day. Without excitement, slowly, with a bitter, almost imperceptible relationship to each other and to life in the village. The tension is only brought here by Ilina's efforts for change, to which the family members no longer even react. The smartest of the family is Anča. However, she does not want to become Ilina's companion. Both legs have been crippled since childhood, so she only watches her sister-in-law's activities with envy.