Seventeen-year-old Tomica comes home one day after being beaten up by his classmates during the night, but he stubbornly refuses to give a reason for the scuffle. His dismayed parents, who until now had respected his privacy, realise that they don’t know their son at all. Their despair mounts as they witness the tragic consequences of his injuries. As law-abiding citizens, they now suddenly discover that they will never obtain justice themselves. Their fearful attempts to find out the truth and effect a punishment unsettle the delicate psychology of defenceless, honourable people who are facing injustice for the first time in their lives. The urgency of the story stems not only from the fact that it is inspired by real events, but also from the insistent depersonalised procedures of meaningless transcripts and medical reports which categorise human life in the eyes of the authorities. Thanks to the understated performances by all the actors, this social drama of an ordinary community from the Zagreb suburbs leaves broad scope for its emotional impact, which, however, is certainly not a calculated gesture on the director’s part.