A tale story of the July, 1952 revolution in Egypt through the experiences of Fatma (Hamama), a young betrothed woman. Her history is told in flash backs as she sits on the roof of her house, intending to jump to her death if her brother carries through with his threat to confine her to a mental institution. Fatma's Husband-to-be is a fisherman who has been away for a long time looking for work abroad, and she has stayed at home to take care of her two brothers instead of going with him. When he comes back, her brother Galal sees to it that he is arrested, intending to put him in prison for several years. Fatma, in turn, represents loyal Egyptians who resisted foreign-backed rule even if it meant dying.