XVII century, Bulgaria is under Ottoman rule. Four men break into the house of the shepherd Karaivan, raping and killing his wife in full view of their child, Maria. To protect his daughter and to enact revenge, he raises Maria as a son, teaching her to fight and kill. But as Maria grows up, she longs for a different life.
Hitar Petar escapes every hard time the life gives him by using his quick mind.
In the House of Marriages, the young couples are paraded one after other. The newlyweds sign the register, kiss and receive congratulations. The picture fades out and another house takes shape: house of executions. An antifascist resister condemned to die marries his beloved minutes before facing the firing squad.
