Plot Summary

A portrait of a small, contemporary village, shaken by the return of one of its residents from prison. Zdzich returns from prison to a small village on the edge of the Augustów Primeval Forest. He was accused of shooting a militiaman and, despite the clear bias of the witnesses, he was convicted. Now the locals fear that his return will bring revenge for the false accusations. Zdzich hides in the forest. One day, he meets Romanek, the son of Jadźka, whose honor he once defended in a fight with others. Romanek cannot answer who his father is. Their meetings become more frequent and turn into friendship. Zdzich decides to come out of hiding and makes a show of attending church. He proposes to Jadźka and is accepted. He also explains the circumstances of his arrest to the locals. The next day, the forester is killed by a mysterious bullet. Zdzich was the last person seen with him. This causes unrest in the village.