In Savamala, the most notorious part of Belgrade, lives an eighteen-year-old young man. In this turbulent atmosphere, different passions collide, and there are hints that the bloody strikes are a prelude to a major battle. The young man tries to escape from the slums and live in a better society. He falls in love and draws comics, while Savamala offers him the misery of everyday life, the world of criminals, gamblers, anarchists, singers and failed poets.
In 1941, a few months after German tanks forced Yugoslav Royal Army to capitulate, organized resistance is turning into massive uprising against occupying forces. Partisans, led by the Communist party, manage to chase Germans from huge territory later known as the Uzice Republic. However, forces loyal to King have some other ideas.
An eminent Belgrade physician is found murdered. The investigation reveals dark side of his character - illegal abortions and abuse of his wife. The wife's lover becomes the prime suspect. The newspaper reporter, however, starts his own investigation. Besides being a crime story, this movie in quasi-documentary fashion presents alternative cultural scene of Belgrade in late sixties.