Matei recollects events of the year 1944 in order to prove the innocence of a friend.
Based on "Șoseaua Nordului" (Northern Highway) novel by Eugen Barbu.

An engine driver is taken prisoner in 1944 and ends up in a camp behind enemy lines. He escapes together with a soviet prisoner and a professor and make their way back to Romania.

The eruption of an oil well is much needed for the survival of the workers and their families living nearby.