20s south of Kyrgyzstan. Platoon commander Abysh Isaev arrives at the military garrison. His task, together with the red commander Valentin Ugryumov, is to stop the bloodshed and destruction perpetrated by Shaanazar’s Basmach detachment, and to return the farmers to their homes.
After a serious conflict with the editor of a local newspaper, journalist Temir Ataev began working as a teacher at a boarding school for children of shepherds. The first difficulties did not frighten Temir. Captivated by his new work, Ataev was able to win over the children, who were mostly from disadvantaged families, and restore order in the teaching staff.
Longing to discover his father, a sad young boy dreams of becoming a fish and swimming to the great white ship he sees traversing Lake Issyk. Lost in his dreams, and buoyed by the pagan tales of his Central Asian grandfather, he feels a close communion with nature: so much so that when a hunter kills a stag, he too takes a final, liberating leap.
Asan works as a bulldozer operator on a road construction project. One day, during an explosion, he saves the geologist Krista from certain death...