The Romanian town Sulina lies right in the no-man's-land of the Danube-delta, cut off from the rest of the world. Ten years after the fall of the communist regime the people here are worse off than ever. Sulina used to be a wealthy trade town. But with the decline of communism the economic connections petered out. The film portrays four of the region's inhabitants from three generations who just manage to get by. 25 year old Nicu tries to make a living as a fisherman. Together with a friend, he drags his boat across the pack ice even in the winter to get to his nets - always in danger of breaking through the ice. Ionut, 15, doesn't have a proper job. His father cannot take care of him, so he sets out to steal whatever he can find on the deserted ships from the Danube-fleet to sell it afterwards. The old married couple Varvara and Toni live from hand to mouth as peasants. There are regular arguments because Toni drinks too much and curses the new government while Varvara is left with all the work. Varvara tries to change her husband, using superstitious rituals.