A 'runaway' homeless man, once a renowned athlete, finds himself marooned in the small, snow-covered town of Zarechensk. Victor lands a job at an orphanage, where he soon meets a young teacher who becomes both a compassionate friend and the love of his life. However, fate doesn't play out simply as good or bad; it unfolds in a way that makes the hero realize one cannot run away from oneself. Consequently, it is in Zarechensk that a train carrying a film crew from the capital, on their way back to Moscow, is compelled to delay their journey for a few days. Remarkably, Zarechensk becomes the place where a director finally discovers the perfect actress for his leading role and encounters a man who has fled from her love. Meanwhile, a producer makes the ultimate decision to select this town as the filming location for her upcoming movie.

Focuses on the lives of two married Polish couples (one Jewish, one Catholic) and the personal and social devastation wrought by the Holocaust and its aftermath.