The story begins in a small rural village in Slavonia called Ladimirevci in 1943, the third year of WW2, where a land owner Sima (played by Fabijan Sovagovic) is helping the Partisan Movement and the official Ustasha regime in order to save the life of his son Benos (played by the actor's real son Filip Sovagovic) who is enlisted in the German army. Sima does not want to let his son fight for the wrong side any more, and does not want to give him to the Partisans either, so he hides him in the attic of his house for the time being. The story is interwoven with episodes of Sima trying to muster a beautiful black stalion called Sokol, who only answers to his son Benos, and clearly doesn't like his old man. After Benos' girlfriend leaves with her family, the situation grows dim, he is arrested by the Ustasha regime and taken forcefully to fight for their side. Soon the war ends, and the prospects of seeing Benos returning home alive are getting dim with passing of each day. Sima bargains with Heaven and Hell in order to save his son and his family.
