Spring flooding forms a small island with rich soil in the middle of a river, new land without an owner. An old man, assisted by his orphaned teenage granddaughter, takes possession of the island, builds a simple hut, and plants corn. They are ethnic Abkhaz and exchange nods with passing Georgian soldiers. The old man shelters a wounded soldier who takes refuge on the island and protects him from his pursuers for a time. At the end of the summer, flooding destroys the island.