Middle Ages: Bulgaria is under the Ottoman Empire. Somewhere, far in the mountains, goatherd Karaivan lives with his wife and little daughter, Mariya. One day Turks burst into the house and rape the woman before the eyes of the daughter and husband. After the rape, she is killed by a raper and the girl is shocked into growing dumb. From this moment on, Karaivan is obsessed with the sole thought of taking revenge. He moves with his daughter into a cave high in the mountains, raises her as if she is a boy, trains her to fight and draw a bow. Deep in her heart, the girl has no hatred, but a craving for love. She meets a young Muslim shepherd and falls in love. The father is unable to swallow it and kills the young man.

There is a small frontier post. A soldier abiding by the rules of the system gradually turns into a murderer.

During an imaginary actors exam, in order to choose the best, the jury utilizes immoral ways of selection – spying, making conflicts, humiliating the applicants – in short, taking advantage of its power.