Man Is Not a Bird

Skilled engineer Jan Rudinski arrives to oversee the installation of heavy mining equipment. He surveys the site and coordinates with his crew to begin the project. His arrival foreshadows the social changes his presence will trigger in the local community.

In a barbershop, Jan asks his pretty blonde hairdresser Rajka if she knows where he can find a room. She offers a room in her parents' home and begins to show warmth toward him. She also juggles attention from a handsome truck driver who is flirting with her.

Rajka agrees to host Jan in her parents' home. Their flirtation deepens as proximity and interest grow. The possibility of a romance begins to develop amid the backdrop of the mining project.

Barbulovic gets into a bar brawl that ends with Fatima, the singer, stabbed. He is arrested and detained for a few days while authorities sort out the mess. The incident foreshadows his unstable life and the consequences of his actions.

After a few days, Barbulovic is released from detention, but he complains that his pay has been docked. He vents about the system and his worsening situation. The arrest adds friction to the wider social web around the mining town.

Barbulovic's wife returns home from a visit to find three dresses missing. She accuses him of giving them to his mistress, igniting suspicion and anger. The domestic tension becomes another thread in the town's tangled lives.

The wife spots the rival wearing one of the dresses at the market and attacks her. The altercation escalates, and both are taken to the police station, but released with some friendly admonition. The incident exposes jealousy bubbling beneath routine life.

With her parents away, Rajka invites Jan to sleep with her. He hesitates over their age difference but ultimately agrees. They begin a discreet, intimate relationship that complicates their personal choices.

Rajka's parents return home and berate the couple for their ongoing relationship. They disapprove and warn about the consequences of pursuing a romance under their roof. The family dynamic adds pressure to the burgeoning affair.

Jan is asked to complete his work several days early so the plant can be part of a big export deal. He pushes his crew to accelerate the project, juggling professional demands with the impending departure.

A government representative from Belgrade arrives to present Jan with a medal for long exemplary service. Jan is puzzled when Rajka does not appear at the concert and banquet honoring him. The moment underscores the personal cost of his professional success.

It becomes clear that Rajka has succumbed to the charms of the truck driver. Jan learns that she has a new lover, heightening his sense of betrayal. The revelation redefines their relationship and sets up the confrontation.

Jan asks how old his rival is, and Rajka evasively says "20 or 22." She claims age does not affect her feelings for him, but her evasiveness only deepens his anger. The delicate balance of trust breaks further.

Overwhelmed by jealousy and hurt, Jan confronts Rajka about the affair. She flees the scene, leaving the relationship in a fragmentary, unresolved state. The film leaves their fates open as the town's lives move on.