A young man named Izzet remembers how he used to watch his coal-miner father get ready to go to the mines in the early morning hours. He still watches the miners walk to work now, and waits for his friend Mesut to come from the night shift. He walks home with Mesut, and studies for entrance exams to university. Mesut thinks that this is pointless, as Izzet hasn't even won the swimming scholarship that will get him into school, but Izzet tells him he won't get a scholarship if he's dumb, regardless of whether or not he wins. Mesut drives him to swim practice, and takes the slightly longer way through the Turkish countryside. They stop at a pond and practice drills, as they have for a while now. On the way home, they drive by some windmills near the highway. Izzet proclaims that he will be up there one day, not in the ground digging coal. At home, his father pokes at him over his desire to go to college. Izzet wants to go on a walk, but there isn't anywhere to go. The morning of the race comes, and Mesut has taken off work so that he can drive Izzet. Suddenly, there's a loud tremor, followed by silence. Something has happened in the mine. Mesut runs there, and says that there's been a collapse at the entrance and everyone needs to grab a shovel and help. Izzet tries to pull him away, and begs him for the car keys, but Mesut yells and throws Izzet on the rubble. After a small fight, Mesut throws his keys at Izzet, who drives away. At the starting line, he positions himself perfectly to avoid the current in the channel he has to swim across. He wins first place and drives back home for dinner. The town is full of outsiders, even the President, who have come to speak about the mine collapse. The people grow restless and attack the President, which culminates in Mesut charging at the President's limousine and getting arrested. Izzet laments his future away from the mines, and away from the connection with those around him that would have gone into those mines to work.