When the communist government raises food prices in 1962, the rebellious workers from the small industrial town of Novocherkassk go on strike. The massacre which then ensues is seen through the eyes of Lyudmila, a devout Communist Party official, whose daughter is involved in the strike.

Once erased from public consciousness, the 1962 Novocherkassk massacre is faithfully rendered in this piercing drama from Russian master Andrey Konchalovskiy. A timeless reminder of state-sanctioned violence, this complex character study realizes the gap between idealist devotion and brutal reality.