Eastern Anatolia 1983: Rayna is an American university professor. She travels to Eastern Turkey to research the political situation. As part of her research, she visits a village in the company of a politically involved leftist writer. On the way back, their minibus is ambushed by a Kurdish outlaw. Two of the travelers, a young woman and her lover, are brutally killed. Rayna is shocked, but at the same time attracted to this outlaw. She is unaware of local conditions and traditions and cannot understand how this outlaw is respected, protected and at the same time allowed to circulate freely The writer, who wants Rayna for himself, is aware of this attraction and makes plans to betray Riza to the police. Rayna finds herself in a dramatic situation between these two enemies.