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The atrocities committed by the military dictatorship that assumed control of Turkey in 1980 are explored by director Omer Ugur in this drama detailing the brutal interrogation and relentless torture of an apolitical factory worker. Mustafa (Memet Ali Alabora and Esma (Sibel Kekilli) are a married couple attempting to put enough overtime at the factory to build a better future for their young daughter. When the military takes over and arrives at the factory to root out union organizers, Mustafa pays little attention since he has never been involved in such activities. When the police burst through his door and accuse Mustafa of being a communist who operates under the codename Sehmuz, however, he fails to convince them of his innocence. Subsequently tortured for three grueling weeks, Mustafa finds his fate taking a grim turn when members of the true leftist cell confirm that he is Sehmuz. Later, when police eventually discover that they have been torturing the wrong man, they release Mustafa with an ominous warning more torture will follow if he dares speak out about his experience. Though subsequently allowed to return to his wife and child, the emotionally shattered and physically battered man finds it impossible to forget the deep-rooted pains of the past.