Under the ancient giant statues of Buddhas destroyed by the Taliban, thousands of families attempt to survive by living in caves. Baktay, a little girl of six, overhears her young neighbour, a boy, reciting the alphabet all day long. This motivates her to attend school, even if it means taking huge risks. Despite the seemingly simple narrative, the youngest of the Makhmalbaf girls denounces the ravages of war in Afghanistan and questions the fate of children who are surrounded by violence from an early age.