1942: in German-occupied USSR, two resistance fighters seek revenge from a presumed traitor.

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The Soviet population suffers daily under the occupation of the army of the Third Reich and reprisals are harsh in areas where resistance fighters are active. With the help of three comrades, Sushenya derails a train. The Germans hang the others and release Sushenya, making him look like a traitor to the resistance. Which is why Burov and Voïtik have come to kill him. But as Voïtik stands guard while Burov is about to murder Sushenya in the forest, he is attacked and wounded by the Germans. Instead of escaping, Sushenya helps him to safety by carrying Burov on his back. A flashback explains how the two men joined the partisan side...

Belorussian director Sergei Loznitsa won the Critics' Award at Cannes for this film, which deals with the difficulty of proving one's innocence. With a magnificent setting among forests and trees, there is no music to distract from the action, which, like an antique drama, seems to be a foregone conclusion. Life is cheap as people appear to accept their lot in the face of war and death – very few remain true to their cause and no one really knows how they would act when the time comes.