In a Hutsul village in the rugged Ukrainian Carpathians, the families of Ivan, from a humble background, and Marichka, from a wealthy one, harbor a brutal enmity that culminates when Marichka's father kills Ivan's father as he leaves church. The children, however, grow up together and experience a passionate love. Even when they are forced apart, a star in the sky allows them to remember each other.

Restored by The Film Foundation's World Cinema Project and the Cineteca di Bologna at the L'Immagine Ritrovata laboratory, in association with the Dovzhenko Film Studio and in collaboration with the Oleksandr Dovzhenko National Centre. Special thanks to Olena Honcharuk and Daniel Bird. Funding provided by the Hobson/Lucas Family Foundation.