The film tells of a hydro-engineer who is sent to the waste sands of the barren Hungarian puszta to investigate water resources for irrigating the land. He is disillusioned with all the Government hindrance he has encountered in the past, and does not enthuse over his job. However he develops a friendship with a director of a collective farm, and together they try to find the solution to the problem of bringing water cheaply to the scorched plains. The engineer is dismissed when his friend taps water on his own. Continuing his research he becomes convinced that part of the river is under the land. Government slackness, red tape and disinterest bogs down the work and almost leads him to despair.

Hungary has been represented by many outstanding films at previous Melbourne Festivals: this year's entry from Karoly Makk is notable for its criticism of bureaucracy and the mistakes of previous Communist leaders.