Edgars Sukurs

Young Juris is being raised by his mother alone in a rural village. She is in love with Jānis, a collective farm driver, and the two plan to get married. As the wedding approaches, Juris prepares a special secret gift for them—a “sun candle” plant he is growing in a forest clearing.

In 1944, as Soviet forces establish control over parts of Latvia, Antons Paipala returns from the front to his native parish and becomes its first Communist Party organiser. As fighting with the forest brothers continues and the new Soviet order takes shape, Antons finds himself caught between political duty and family loyalty.

Many adventures befell a beautiful dog named Michael. He was stolen and sold many times, he lived with both kind and cruel owners, and even performed in the circus arena. And so, during his difficult wanderings, Michael falls into the hands of a lonely sailor, Doug, who, at the risk of losing his job, takes the dog with him.