Stella is a beautiful young girl who dreams of becoming one day a famous singer. Her boyfriend Andreas leads a quiet life working at his small store, and doesn't approve Stella's quest for fame. When she decides to leave Athens for a singing job offered to her somewhere in north Greece, Andreas sets off on a quest to find her again and convince her to come back to him.

Three teenagers are confined to an isolated country estate that could very well be on another planet. The trio spend their days listening to endless homemade tapes that teach them a whole new vocabulary. Any word that comes from beyond their family abode is instantly assigned a new meaning. Hence 'the sea' refers to a large armchair and 'zombies' are little yellow flowers. Having invented a brother whom they claim to have ostracized for his disobedience, the über-controlling parents terrorize their offspring into submission. The father is the only family member who can leave the manicured lawns of their self-inflicted exile, earning their keep by managing a nearby factory, while the only outsider allowed on the premises is his colleague Christina, who is paid to relieve the son of his male urges. Tired of these dutiful acts of carnality, Christina disturbs the domestic balance.

During the 1946-49 Greek Civil War, young brothers Anestis and Vlassis are recruited by opposing sides. Anestis joins the National Army while Vlassis becomes a soldier in the Democratic Army. Fighting in the countryside they grew up in, the boys become increasingly fanatical as the war progresses.