Due to suspicion of BSE (mad cow disease), a herd of cows from a small farmstead is sentenced to be killed. The animals revolt and try to escape. People try to hunt them down but the herd, led by Bella, manages to protect itself. Further failures of people increase their aggressiveness. The escalating battle has little in common with the original veterinary prevention. However, there are also people who try to help the cows, who desire nothing more than free life in the great outdoors, even if they are also forced to learn how to live and survive without anybody to feed them, milk them or fill them up with medicine. They learn all about hunger, cold, deprivation and pain.