A few minutes from the life of an abandoned village.

China, mid-twentieth century. The main character is the Tatar Nail Gabitov. His family emigrated to China from Kazan at the beginning of the 19th century. They were engaged in trade, and their life was quite prosperous. After Mao Zedong came to power, everything they had acquired was taken away from them and deported to Kazakhstan. Nail stays, he is hired by the embassy of the USSR, which at that time was friendly with China. But after the death of Stalin and the exposure of terror, relations between countries become hostile, and everyone who worked in the embassy is arrested without trial or investigation. Nail Gabitov is imprisoned. He spends 18 years in solitary confinement under the most difficult conditions. After Mao's death, he is released. He meets his future wife and they move to Australia. There he is taught English free of charge and given a manual. Then he gets a job at a meat packing plant. Nail's life is getting better, children appear. He is now in his 80s and still lives in Australia with his family.