The film is set in the 1840s. A charming village girl, Rozina, falls in love with a farmhand, Martin. However, a local madwoman, who secretly loves Martin, reveals the location of their meetings to Rozina's father, who banishes Martin and marries Rozina to the son of a rich farmer against her will. Disappointed, Martin joins a gang of smugglers. The fates of all the characters inevitably lead to tragedy...
A fairy-tale about an old lady who takes care of snow and Jakub who does not fear death. It reflects the idea of people's longing for happiness, love and understanding, their effort to overcome troubles and win over death. It criticizes greed and evil desires.
A family saga taking place mostly in a small Slovak village over a period of thirty years (1887–1917). The first part captures the life of Martin Pichandu in the development of his craft, masonry; in the second part, his son is center stage living in a period of socio-political crisis, which ultimately results in the first World War. After originally airing on Czechoslovakian television in 1983 as a four-part 226-minute mini-series, this production received a 163-minute theatrical release in 1984.
