Story Structure — 4 Plot Phases

Mare's young family is trapped in financial hardship. His weekly blood donations, exchanged for half a sausage, establish the depth of deprivation.

Family Faces Financial Crisis — A young family with two children falls into severe financial hardship. Characters: Mare, Sonja, Marko Location: Family home
Mare Gives Blood — Mare donates blood every week because of the family's poverty. Characters: Mare Location: Medical facility
Half A Sausage — Mare receives half a sausage in exchange for each weekly blood donation. Characters: Mare Location: Medical facility
Factory Workplace — Mare's identity as a factory worker places him within the film's workplace conflict. Characters: Mare, Direktor Location: Factory
Director Makes Decisions — The director makes decisions portrayed by the critical summary as part of the social crisis. Characters: Direktor Location: Workplace

The family's suffering escalates into self-immolation and the appearance of a charred corpse. The children are subsequently sent into foster care.

Hardship Escalates — The family's financial distress develops into increasingly extreme suffering. Characters: Mare, Sonja, Marko Location: Family surroundings
Sonja Sets Herself Ablaze — The mother sets herself on fire in a devastating act of desperation. Characters: Sonja Location: Unspecified
Charred Body Appears — The story includes the disturbing aftermath of a charred corpse. Characters: Mare Location: Unspecified
Children Enter Foster Care — The children are placed in foster care after the family tragedy. Characters: Mare, Marko Location: Foster care system
Mare Commits A Killing — The father kills someone with a granite block. Characters: Mare Location: Unspecified
Granite Block — A granite block becomes the weapon in Mare's violent act. Characters: Mare Location: Unspecified

Mare kills someone with a granite block as the film's physical violence intensifies. A traffic accident also kills a forcibly intoxicated unionist.

Granite Block — A granite block becomes the weapon in Mare's violent act. Characters: Mare Location: Unspecified
Brutal Violence Intensifies — The film contains further brutal physical violence as the crisis deepens. Characters: Mare Location: Unspecified
Unionist Dies In Crash — A traffic accident kills a unionist who has been forcibly intoxicated. Location: Road
Kidney Sale Is Attempted — A kidney is to be surgically removed in exchange for money. Characters: Mare, Jana Location: Medical facility
Nurse Oversees Crisis — Jana is identified as the nurse within the film's medical storyline. Characters: Jana Location: Medical facility

Mare undergoes an attempted kidney sale for money. The buyer rejects the kidney after a genetic defect is discovered, leaving the crisis unresolved.

Genetic Defect Is Revealed — The kidney buyer rejects the organ because of a genetic defect. Characters: Mare Location: Medical facility
Kidney Transaction Collapses — The intended exchange fails after the buyer refuses the kidney. Characters: Mare Location: Unspecified
Family Breakdown Continues — The family remains marked by death, separation, poverty, and violence. Characters: Mare, Sonja, Marko Location: Family surroundings
Social Despair Peaks — The protagonist's personal collapse reflects the film's depiction of extreme social despair. Characters: Mare, Marko Location: Unspecified
Tragic Aftermath — The story concludes within the aftermath of the family's accumulated tragedies. Characters: Mare, Marko Location: Unspecified

Story Breakdown

Family In Poverty — Mare's family struggles to survive under severe financial pressure.
- Financial Hardship — The young family enters a state of economic desperation.
- Blood For Food — Mare donates blood weekly for half a sausage.
Workplace Pressure — Mare's factory-worker identity contrasts with the authority of the director.
- Factory Labor — Mare is established as a factory worker.
- Director Decisions — The director's decisions are presented within the film's social conflict.
Domestic Catastrophe — The family's hardship produces devastating physical and emotional consequences.
- Sonja Burns — The mother sets herself on fire.
- Charred Aftermath — The plot includes a charred corpse after the catastrophe.
Children Displaced — The family unit breaks apart after the mother's act.
- Foster Care — The children are sent into foster care.
- Marko Separated — Mare's son Marko is among the children affected by the separation.
Violence Escalates — The social crisis develops into direct physical violence and fatal consequences.
- Granite Block Killing — Mare kills someone with a granite block.
- Fatal Traffic Crash — A traffic accident kills a forcibly intoxicated unionist.
Body As Commodity — Mare's body becomes the basis of a desperate attempt to obtain money.
- Kidney Operation — An operational attempt is made to remove a kidney for payment.
- Genetic Rejection — The buyer refuses the kidney because of a genetic defect.