Poltawa, Ukraine, beginning of the 1940s, days before the German invasion. Three children, German Hanna, and Jewish Larissa and Abrascha, are best friends and classical music virtuosos; when the War reaches Poltawa, their friendship is put to the test. The young musicians see only one way out: to help each other and to win over the adults by using their musical ability. When a German official comes to town, he suggests that Larissa and Abrascha perform a concert; if they play perfectly, their lives will be spared, if they make a mistake, they will be deported….