Umut is a cheerful young medical assistant who aspires to become a certified nurse. She has no one other than her mother, with whom she shares a modest home. Egeman lives with his elderly father and makes a living by stealing and selling scrap metal. The film thus presents two stories: that of naïve Umut, who dreams of romantic love, and Egeman’s secret relationship with single mother Meyerim, who was forced into marriage but escaped from imprisonment by her husband. Because her status is a disgrace to Egeman’s family, they decide to act. The paths of the two protagonists intersect, and a battle not just for freedom and honour but even for bare survival ensues.