Because of a local blood feud, a peasant family decides to sell its sheep - a most precious commodity - in far away Ankara. During their long train ride, bribes must be paid to petty officials, sheep are stolen or die in the packed, airless wagons, and the sick wife of one of the family's sons becomes deathly ill.

After betraying his social class, denying his peasant roots and fleeing his native village, Ahmed has become a successful businessman and has found a place in the sun among the bourgeoisie. Azem, his childhood friend, has followed a quite different way. refusing the rat race, he has remained close to people of humble origin. Politically committed, he aspires to be useful to his country and more particularly to the forsaken rural world. The two former friends meet again. Due to the influence of Azem, Ahmed gradually becomes aware that his life is a failure.

Turkish democracy got over the 27th of May and the 12th of March and set off again, but the storm did not subside and the mutual reckoning was not over. On the contrary, new fronts were opened in the country and blood began to flow like a gutter. Finally, on September 12, there was a knock on the door again. Those who came that day changed everything, everything. Nothing would ever be the same again, nothing would be the same as before.