On a stopover in Moscow, a young writer Volodya makes friends with Kolya, who is returning home from a hard night shift. Just as Kolya is about to take a rest, he is met by his old friend Sasha, who wants help getting a deferral from military service so that he can get married.
The film is dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the birth of Roman Carmen. The authors tracked down his former students, whom he brought to the documentary. Almost half a century ago, they, then still children, first crossed the threshold of the VGIK when they passed the exams.