Loosely based on Romanian author Ion Creanga's life as a child during the 1840s.Young schoolboy Ion is growing up fast in a provincial town of the Moldavia region of Romania.Local villagers call him "Nica a lui Stefan a Petrei".The film offers a detailed account of his childhood with special focus on the relationships between Ion and the various people in his life.The relationships between Ion as a child and his parents,friends,neighbors and teachers are described.The larger context of the Romanian rural social universe of the 19th century is also touched upon.Finally,the film shows Ion's coming-of-age from an innocent child growing up in an idyllic remote village to a rebellious adolescent dreaming of becoming a priest.