The film starts in Nalaikh where old Mongolchaan is one of the many former miners who - after the closure of the mine - continues digging for coal in order to survive. Despite the extremely severe working conditions, he perseveres to support his children. Mongolchaan sells his coal to Basandorj, a middleman between the coal pits and the power stations in the city. Basandorj delivers the coal to a power station where young Erdenetsetseg is in charge. Despite the harsh environment, she enjoys her life and work. The electricity produced by the power plant enlightens blind Amarjarkhal's apartment. Ever since she moved from Nalaikh to the capital she makes a living as a writer and performer of popular songs.

Poets of Mongolia

Teenage boy Tsog lives in the slums outside Ulan Bator.  He sells milk from his neighbor to support his family, with whom he frequently quarrels.  The flight of his imagination is Tsog's only solace— he spends hours drawing his hero, a young monk.  After a fight with his parents Tsog takes off to the city, where he settles on the roof of an apartment building.  From this new vantage point he spots a beautiful but troubled young woman inhabiting a nearby penthouse.  Seeking to intertwine their fates— to bridge the gap between their social, economic, and spiritual conditions— Tsog steals a remote which he uses to control the young woman's television set.