A remote village in the mountains of Bohemia and Moravia in the 50s. Without fully realizing the consequences, a civil servant talks about the miracle that took place during the most recent sermon when the crucifix moved. The police officer in charge of the investigation is convinced the “miracle” was the work of the priest, a way of reinforcing the power of the Church vis-à-vis the State. He will stop at nothing to get a confession. He asks a popular young filmmaker to make a documentary on the incident. The filmmaker quickly comes across all sorts of mysteries and contradictions. Though well-meaning, he can’t complete his work, all the more so because he realizes he is now being manipulated by the police. As his inquiry progresses, the documentary becomes increasingly like a tract.