After the Aug. 19,1953 military coup, engineered by the CIA agents to topple the government of Dr. Mossadegh, Kalali a member of the Tudeh party-the communist party of Iran-is arrested and sentenced to 20 years of imprisonment. while serving his term, he begins to have doubts about the role his party played during the critical days prior to the coup. After being released from prison Kalali starts working at a steel factory, and later kills a man whom he thinks was responsible for his arrest and imprisonment. Kaveh a young lawyer acquainted with Kalali's family is assigned to investigate the murder. Perusing through Kalali's prison notes, Kaveh discovers clues which help him to find Kalali under very unusual circumstances.