Late 19th century. The shepherd Bakhva goes to town and successfully launches into business. He wants to marry Esma who was courted by Prince Jeremiah Tsarba. He kills the girl. Bakhva goes in search of Jeremiah, finds him and has him arrested. But Jéremia is freed thanks to his sister, Valida, who seduced the governor and the prosecutor. Bakhva then decides to take justice into his own hands by murdering Jeremiah.