The film opens with one of the great milestones of the 20th century… Kemal, a university student of around 20, hears news of the fall of ‘socialism’ on a tiny radio in the shambles of his shared student flat. Before his eyes, a world view he has newly espoused, that has shaped his value system, is being destroyed by the people who live within that very system.
Despite the debacle unfolding on their doorstep, the revolutionary organization Kemal belongs to continues resolutely with its struggle in universities and labour circles, defying all kinds of police and state oppression. If Kemal’s political struggle is consuming, so too is his emotional world. He nurses a platonic love for Leyla, a political comrade, his feelings so intense that they sometimes overtake his revolutionary duties. When his closest friend and comrade Abidin is killed under police torture, Kemal is recruited to the armed wing of the organization by Pala, the local man in charge. As such, he is now illegal.
Over time, his platonic feelings for Leyla evolve into a real relationship; but revelations of betrayal by the overseas-based boss of the organization and of his confession to the police inevitably lead to a dramatic change in the lives of all its members…