Yura is a Ukrainian boy who looks much younger than his fifteen years and acts much older. After he and his sisters leave the home of their alcoholic parents, Yura becomes the primary breadwinner of the family. He mines for coal eight to twelve hours a day in the abandoned pits that dot the backyards and woods of his small hometown. The grandson of a Soviet plant director, Yura longs to run a café some day, a dream that seems ever more distant. The film follows the children for over a year as they struggle to pay their bills and stay in school while keeping their independence.  NT