Mykola Marchenko

Set in a small Ukrainian village during the outbreak of war with Germany in 1941 Private Chonkin, not overly endowed with intelligence, is left to guard a downed military aircraft. The authorities appear to have forgotten about him so this leaves him free to work his chams on the village postmistress, Njura, untill the local militia are tipped off.

The film tells the story of the difficult and tragic fate of a Prykarpattia family over several generations. The events take place in the difficult 30s and 40s. Zhmeniak's father tries to gather more land in his possession by all means. But not everyone understands that he will divide all that land between his children when it comes time to die anyway, and they are simply jealous of his possessions. Meanwhile, the children have their own dramas and tragedies, because it's one thing to love someone, and another thing to know what the father thinks about it, and who he sees as wives for his sons. And then there are changes of government, and then there is the war...