In 1968, Asllan, a 19-year-old Albanian political activist, is forced into exile, distancing him from his native Kosovo for over fifty years. Despite this imposed separation, Asllan vividly retains the memories of his past, sharing stories of his childhood in the peaceful village of Makermal with his children. With a natural talent for storytelling, he transports his family to an enchanted world.

Inspired by her father's captivating stories, his daughter, Dea Gjinovci the filmmaker, decides to bring these memories of a suspended past back to life. She embarks on an emotional journey to return Asllan to the village that shaped his identity. Once back with Dea, Asllan realizes the village he knew is gone: the old stone buildings have been destroyed by the unspeakable violence of the 1998 Kosovo War, the former dirt road leading to the village now boasts a flawless asphalt cover, everyone with whom he spent his childhood has passed away or been exiled, and the cemetery has expanded with several rows of additional graves.

The villagers, who also have their own stories and memories tied to that era, join in this collective endeavor to revive the customs and stories that marked the community's life in the 1950s.

As the stories come to life, a more painful past emerges. For Asllan, this nostalgic experience becomes a way to confront the tragic loss of his mother during the Kosovo war in 1998. Asllan seeks to understand the circumstances surrounding her disappearance, thereby paving the way for healing and reconciliation with their past.

"The title refers to my father’s earliest childhood memory: meeting a newborn donkey. This story, which he often recounted to us, became a symbol of how certain moments from childhood stay with us without clear reason, yet define something essential. The donkey represents that kind of memory, simple, vivid, and inexplicably enduring. It was also the title of the book he wanted to write about his childhood." - Dea Gjinovci