An old man crosses the boundless Kazakh steppe, driving alone. Haunted by memories of a lost love, he stops by Bartogay Lake, flowers in hand. But as he tries to step out, his car door refuses to open, trapping him between past and present.

Twelve-year-old Malika’s entire life revolves around her mom Roza: she is her friend, her world, and her pillar. But when Roza decides to remarry, Malika understands that she will have to go to her father’s house, as the Islamic tradition dictates. Malika now faces the impossible dilemma between disrupting this new marriage and keeping the life she’s used to or sacrificing her own happiness for her mother’s.