A wealthy Ossetian prince adopts a foundling and raises her as his own daughter, Fatima. As Fatima grows up, she falls in love with her stepbrother, Dzhambulat. However, when Dzhambulat goes to war and disappears, Fatima defies her father’s wishes and decides to marry a poor labourer.

The crew of a soviet cargo falls prey to an act of piracy in waters between China and Taiwan, and are taken to Taiwan where they are pressured into stating they chose to go into the free world.

Parajanov's diploma film for the VGIK, based on the Moldavian fairy tale by Emilian Bukov. A young shepherd is given a magical instrument from a giant.