This harsh yet poetic critique of Stalinism in East Germany centers on the mythical village of Stalina in 1953. The villagers legitimize injustice by glorifying "real existing socialism" ... at the same time as they experience their own destruction by the system. Only children-like the Rainmaker and Marie-still believe in the goodness of people and true love. Critics credit this film with being one of the most radical condemnations of East Germany, "dominated by picturesque tableaux, canvasses awakened to filmic life, contemporary history bundled together in close-ups." In his directorial debut, Herwig Kipping sets out to explore the roots of the socialist society he grew up in.