In an oriental country under a dictatorship, young Li Huan is based in a political prisoners camp for his military service. Big Father's devoted follower as well as the doctrine of the party, on the other hand the only one he has known. As he knows how to read and write he will be placed as head person inspecting and subjecting censorship the prisoners's letters. Doing this job Li Huan will meet the prisoner 139, an university profesor, and will begin to questionate his ideas and beliefs. An ode to the power of word and free thought.