The steppes of Outer Mongolia form a striking backdrop to this contemplative story of unlikely bonds formed in the trackless desert.Near the border between Mongolia and China, the desert slowly swallows a tiny rural community. The town leader, Hangai, is determined to plant seedlings and rejuvenate the village but the villagers do not share his vision. They depart in droves and, eventually, even Hangai's own wife packs up and leaves with her sickly daughter.Despairing, Hangai stays behind, preparing to drink himself into oblivion, when the sudden arrival of a North Korean refugee and her daughter pulls him out of his melancholy. Despite not sharing a common language, the trio sets about surviving in the deserted village.