A military dictator in a fictional country, modeled on early-1970s Chile, has risen from butcher to junta leader but now, isolated and distrustful, confides only in his guard Manuel. Manuel, who once shared the dictator’s humble origins, betrays him without hesitation when a popular uprising topples the regime and personally kills him.

The life of Mr. Kettle, an executive of a single bank in a small provincial English town Brickmill, is strictly organized: 7 a.m. stand up, then breakfast, at 9 a.m. work, at 13 p.m. diner, then work, at 18 p.m.- the end of a workday, then club, home, sleep. But one dull English morning almost having reached his work, he stops near a shop window, trading toys. How is Mrs. Twigg, Kettle's housekeeper amazed when she sees seem at home with bags and hears him saying that he is not intended to go to work any longer. This is the day when Mr. Kettle suddenly meets his love, and after a series of funny and tragic situations both choose a new life free and joyful.

A story about a group of children and their life set at the small Russian seashore town in the year of 1913.

The detective story is based on the search for Antonio Stradivari’s missing violin. An additional historical storyline takes the viewer back to the 17th century and focuses on the life of the Master and his work on the violin.