The upper crust of the capital has been invited to the party. The guests discuss the German's retreat on the Eastern Front. Havadzhieva, an attractive intellectual, realizes that the interests of her class require deeds, not words. The state prosecutor Yorgov picks up the phone and gives permission to proceed for the execution of three antifascist resisters sentenced to death. Taking his leave, the prosecutor asks Havadzhieva to play his favorite tango at the hour appointed for the execution. That same night, the friends and relatives of the condemned men waver between the horror of despair and the hope of a reprieve. Another sleepless night on death row. Depressed by the endless wait, the inmates talk about their families. Heavy footfalls resound in the corridor. The three are placed under the gallows. Yorgov, however, prolongs the agonizing minutes, awaiting the right moment for the tango.