In June of 1942 Germans and their collaborators decide to get rid of partisans and their stronghold in the woods of Mount Kozara in Northern Bosnia. They encircle the mountain and begin the mop up operation. Out gunned and outnumbered the partisans must not only take care of themselves but try to protect thousands of refugees too.

German forces in Yugoslavia set out to destroy the stronghold of Tito with a traitor's help, but are overcome by Partisan resistance.

The film was created based on the stories of Marino Zurl, head of humanitarian action of the weekly Arena newspapers, who from 1963 to 1971 was looking for the next of kin of children separated from their parents during World War II and taken to camps and shelters. Many of them later grew up in orphanages or foster families, like the three main characters of this film, Ana (Biserka Ipša), Nenad (Mustafa Nadarević) and Toma (Božidar Orešković). Each of them relates in a different way to the past and the possibility that, as young accomplished adults, they can finally solve the secret of their identity and meet members of their real families.

Commander Pavle receives partisan Jovan to shot him for not executing his orders. While listening to his unfortunate love story from the war, Pavle remembers his own relationship which had an equally bitter epilogue, and decides to set Jovan free.