Through flashbacks of a former prisoner of the Auschwitz concentration camp, the drama depicts the camp's macabre everyday reality and stages of its functioning, up until the successful escape of the main character. The film was shot in real locations.
Henryk Matula offers a lift to a young American who wants to see the Auschwitz concentration camp. This brings back his memories of the war and the camp. Matula's mind goes back to the tragic death of his wife, who was looking after Roma children, the rebellion against the SS men trying to hide evidence of the camp's existence, and finally his successful escape.