[1] It was chosen as East Germany's official submission to the 50th Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film, but did not manage to receive a nomination.

On their long journey on the train, which is very comfortable by wartime standards, the four get to know the people and living conditions of the country they once fought against and reflect on their situation.

Meanwhile, the fourth of them, Pankonin, has taken on the task of listening in on German radio transmissions together with the Red Army woman Svetlana.

Finally, three of them, chosen by lot, are dropped behind enemy lines for a commando operation in German uniforms and are killed trying to get back to the Soviet side.

The only survivor was Becker, who had received a note from a fellow German prisoner in the camp with his address and the sentence "Mama, I'm alive".