Based on real characters and events, this haunting drama focuses on the personal sacrifice of a Prague history student, Jan Palach, who set himself on fire in protest against the Soviet occupation of Czechoslovakia in 1969. Dagmar Burešová, a young female lawyer, became part of his legacy by defending Jan's family in a trial against the communist government, a regime which tried to dishonour Palach’s sacrifice, a heroic action for the freedom of Czechoslovakia.

Story of two brothers whose cinematic fate intersects with real events surrounding a group of correspondents of the international editorial office of Czechoslovak Radio in the period 1967-1968. The prototypes for the film characters were real members of the then Editorial Board of International Life, headed by Milan Weiner.