The film tells about the Nazino tragedy — the events of 1933 in the north of Tomsk Oblast, during which about 6,000 people were exiled to an uninhabited island, most of whom died within a few days. The incident was the result of an inhumane policy of "cleansing large cities of so-called declassed elements", people were deported without any charges. There have been many documented cases of cannibalism among prisoners and abuse of power among executive branch representatives.