In the fifties, the leaders of the Greek-Catholic church are arrested and sent to the Sighet prison.The soviet regime has banned any church except the orthodox. Tortured and dehumanized, the only choices are conversion or death. The bishop Iuliu Hossu stands up in front of the torturers and through courage and stature becomes an inspiration for the other priests.

While a gruff inspector mentors a new hire, he flips their usual routine when he investigates a monk with a link to a fatal incident from years ago.