In order to avoid reprisals from the Wehrmacht for the murder of a soldier, intellectuals from a Romanian village try to convince Ipu, the village idiot, to take the blame for the murder and save everybody.

During World War II, just before the events of August 23rd 1944, a German soldier is found murdered in a Romanian village. The dead soldier's superior threatens the villagers that unless the perpetrator is handed over by the following morning they will all face reprisals. In order to avoid this, the village intellectuals try to convince Ipu, the village idiot, to take the blame for the murder and save them.