Three myths from human groups on other planets describe the origin of humanity, and the necessity of respecting nature.

In a series of commentaries on the human condition — life, truth, happiness, death — a spinster sister takes in her dead sister’s children; a man is entranced by the endless waves which roll and crash in the ocean; a carpenter wrestles with the burden of being everyone’s confidante; a dying railroad crossing watchman shares a simple but complex wisdom.

In discussing the altercations witnessed over the course of the day, Stephen Elwin and his family grapple with question of whether the downtrodden and those burdened by prejudice are nonetheless responsible for their own breeding and behavior. Elwin’s earnest and idealistic daughter Margaret valiantly defends their maid, who happens to be Black and also named Margaret, until she witnesses 'the other Margaret' breaking a piece of artwork.

A few men gather in a small house to discuss what makes humanity unique as compared to the rest of nature.

Irritated by a humiliating incident in his class, an anthropology professor takes a spin on his boat to blow off steam. He rides the waves and comes to a realization about alienation versus acceptance.

A boy learns from his father’s best friend the history of his family and the value of man’s relationship with nature, but is interrupted by his father’s death and his mother’s sudden arrival.

While watching his infant son, a man recalls an old memory from his adolescence involving a charming guest and his views on the nature of men and animals.

Two natives, the last of the Injuns in a colonized land, discuss their plans to reclaim their land from the whites. However, the male native falls into a fatal accident while practicing his shamanism and the lone woman feels the aftereffects.

An older man recounts how White settlers violently removed him from his home and took him to a boys ranch to strip him of his indigeneity.

When a man visits an old village called Ain Tadouirt to visit an old friend and conduct research, he becomes captured by a tribe and forced to entertain. He must figure out how to escape a life of enslavement in a foreign land.