The life of early 20th century author, journalist, and revolutionary Algot Untola (also known as Maiju Lassila, Irmari Rantamala and under several more pseudonyms), one of the most enigmatic figures in Finnish literature. Different time levels are mixed in the film to give it an equally enigmatic structure. Untola lives periods of his life in the Finnish countryside as a teacher, then in St. Petersburg as a businessman, becomes a Socialist, and dies during the Finnish Civil War in 1918.