The screenplay, written by Constantin Chelba and Păunescu, centers on Andrei, a young actor who has already made a name for himself as one of the most promising talents of his generation. Andrei will become involved in various events leading to the Romanian 1989 Revolution and also in the violent Mineriads, where Romanian miners clashed against the country’s intellectuals in Bucharest in 1990 and the following year. Deeply changed by these experiences, the protagonist will make an unexpected decision. According to Păunescu, The Ladder is based on (but not totally faithful to) the life of Romanian actor Dragoş Pâslaru.