In the first half of the twentieth century, Juraj Hordubal returns to the Carpathian village of Krivoy after eight years of working in the mines of America. His wife, Polana, and daughter, Hafia, await him, but the family's daily life has changed: the hired hand Štěpán Manya now has his place on the farm. Juraj's return reveals the estrangement born of their long separation. People interpret one another's actions in different ways, while the court proceedings call into question confident judgments about truth and guilt.
