In 1956, a crusading newspaper reporter covers the Soviet invasion of Hungary. Initially critical of the communists, the feature later espouses the virtues of social changes implemented since the invasion.

On New Year's Eve in 1956 the artist couple, the actor János and the dancer Viki are hastily packing. While they are waiting for the car, which is to take them across the border, their entire life is replayed in front of their eyes.

A few days from a daily life of a regular school in Hungary during fifties.

The "sleepless years" in this propaganda piece by director Felix Marlassy occur on Csepel Island, an island south of Budapest that is home to an armaments factory. The factory workers are shown being exploited by imperialists, capitalists gone berserk, and fascists, more or less in that exact chronological sequence. The heavy-handed approach does much to undercut the belief that when socialism finally takes over, the lives of the workers are brought up to a human level. In this instance, audiences might prefer a more nuanced and subtle statement, no matter what the message.

Marci is drafted from a typical block building in the 6th district in Pest. He says good-bye to Juli living in the same house, with whom they are both very much fond of each other, but neither of them makes a confession. Juli works in a factory, and with her friend Gizus she goes out in the evening for dancing and drinking. After a year, Marci comes back for holiday, he is full of love.

In a rural scenery in the throes of difficult changes lives humble but promising young farmer girl Mari Pataki. Her father forbids her from seeing the man she loves. The father, above all preoccupied by work on the fields and prospective wealth, decides to give his daughter in marriage to his older business partner. 'Land marries land', he says, a phrase which seems to be the unyielding rule of the Hungarian peasantry. But the younger lover is ready to confront any challenge to keep Mari's love.

1920 in a mining town in the country-side. The team of children led by Ferkó Boda fish guns and a flag of Red soldiers out of the local lake.

October, 1956. Colonel lieutenant Szabó sends a platoon with the mission of calming the people demonstrating in the town. The platoon is lined up under the command of Lieutenant Csendes and the soldiers aim at the demonstrators. Szusza Kis changes sides, and Csendes is unable to shoot at his childhood mate. They withdraw.

20-year-old Gida, having just survived his first amourous disappointment, falls for Katinka, the young widow, at first sight.

Terpinkó, the bragging man of muscle likes womanising linked with betting: conquering is a great fun for him. He bet one to a hundred on his new boss, Éva. But the wife of the engineer handles all his tricks with annoying benevolence. Terpinkó falls in love with her and therefore he cannot stand her not returning his feelings.

The story of a young servant girl who comes to work on the construction site of a large-scale industrial settlement. She decides to embark on an independent life, runs away from her foster parents, gets on a train and sets out to earn money. Modest and shy, she joins the factory's group of "Stakhanovites" and soon makes new comrades. Her coworkers accept her into their team.

In May 1919 in a small rural town beside Salgótarján the local high society wants to get the power back with the leadership of dr. Máriáss, exploiting the outside attack launched against the Republic of Councils.

Prof. Laurent Akush from the Institute of Geophysics is working on a device that can be used to locate coal underground. For successful work he needs a tube XCX13, it is available in the West, but foreign firms sabotage the supply of the device. In his institute there is an enemy engaged in sabotage, but the professor does not believe in enemies. He believes that this is propaganda, science is above ideology, and that "scientists are made of a different dough." Laurent Akush receives an invitation to the international geological congress in Berlin, there he hopes to meet an old American friend, the scientist McLane. He takes with him his assistant Ferenc Ervish and a young Stakhanovite worker, Ishvan Kadosh. The professor does not yet know that in Berlin, Colonel Thompson of American intelligence is preparing a trap for him.

During a mining accident, the police arrest the sole survivor on suspicion of murder, whose pickaxe is stained with the blood of one of the victims. The investigation reveals that the identity card found on the victim belongs to another person, that the collapse was deliberate and that the miner believed to be the victim has escaped.

The war is over, but the Bodog family is starving. Varg's neighbor takes Mihai Bodog with him to do restoration work. They are well paid for this work and Mihai can finally please his wife Erji and their young son. When the workers are later hired to build a bridge, Bodog, a specialist bridge builder, cannot resist the challenge and is hired. But this time the workers are delayed in paying their wages, so their family is once again in need. Erji is forced to look for work...

We have linguists, we have literary men, we have newspapers, actors, musicians, but we have no national opera!", lamented the champions of national revival in the middle of the last century. Hungarian music culture at home is limited to the performance of works by foreign composers. And the public demands Hungarian opera, and such a challenge is not easy to meet. So let's see who is up to the task!

On the Spring of 1945 the Jackson circus is heading towards the border with the clown Peti and Aida, the elephant. They have to play for the Hungarian Fascists, while Peti is hiding the Jew Annuska and Sanyika.

December 1956. The region by the Tisza is evacuated because of a threatening flooding. Laci, Karcsi and Péter leave their home on the lorry