The border region of Galicia was populated, on the eve of WWI, by Poles, Ukrainians, and Jews. Tag, the owner of a small country inn, or "austeria", is a Jew who believes that fate is written in the heavens. Through his inn pass refugees of all sorts - from Jews fleeing the Cossacks to an Austrian Baronness and a Hungarian Hussar, for whom the historical events pulled the rug out from under their feet. As far as Tag is concerned, he has no intention of leaving the place, nor his granddaughter, nor his Ukrainian servant who is also his lover. He is the thread that ties all the stories and characters together. The film is a clear expression of longing for the Jewish world that until the middle of the 20th century was a central element of life in Poland.