Summary This is the first Greek neo-realistic film, without fanciful, picturesque clichés, melodrama and bouzouki. On the contrary, it is a persuasive rendering of the difficult life of breadwinners. A poor builder (Pantelis Zervos) tries, with the help of his wife (Eleni Zafeiriou), to raise his three children. When he gets killed in an accident at the construction site, his oldest son undertakes the responsibility of providing for the family, facing all difficulties. The other son, who is disabled, can’t stand being a burden to his own people and commits suicide. The mother, suffering from arthritis, watches her hands fall into disuse. The youngest son abandons school and also throws himself into the struggle for survival.