The film takes place in one house, at an unspecified place, at an unspecified time. In this house, twelve dialogue stories take place and all have one thing in common - oppressive hopelessness. We witness everyday problems that become absurd under a distorted lens and become all the more real. The film follows with almost morbid interest the fates of people who, based on their actions and incompetence, are doomed. The question remains how far the characters from this "house" are.

Based on real characters and events, this haunting drama focuses on the personal sacrifice of a Prague history student, Jan Palach, who set himself on fire in protest against the Soviet occupation of Czechoslovakia in 1969. Dagmar Burešová, a young female lawyer, became part of his legacy by defending Jan's family in a trial against the communist government, a regime which tried to dishonour Palach’s sacrifice, a heroic action for the freedom of Czechoslovakia.