The hero of the documentary is the actor Alexei Smirnov, beloved by many generations. He gave the impression of a careless, prosperous and cheerful person from the screen. But in life he always kept himself apart and rarely opened his soul to anyone. It was difficult to find a more lonely and withdrawn person. Nobody understood and knew him, except for his only friend - the director and actor Leonid Bykov. The phrase "Let's live, Makarych!" was their password. Their friendship was legendary. There was a secret pain in the life of everyone's beloved cheerful artist Smirnov. He was was crushed by the war, to which he volunteered on the first day.