The Neman River flows idyllically through the landscape, but not always has it been this peaceful. In the 18th century the river marked the boundary between Prussia and Lithuania, which had been under Russian rule since 1795. Rebellions in 1831 and 1863 were put down and in order to enforce the "Russification", books in the Lithuanian language were forbidden. Smugglers trafficking weapons and goods across the Neman were now also bringing in books that were being published in the nearby town of Tilsit. These smugglers deserve much of the credit for Lithuania's survival of the occupation. Author/director Jeremiah Cullinane and Albertas Vid*zunas, Head of the Vilnius Theatre, explore their tracks: They take part in folk festivals where the smuggling is re-enacted and they interview a priest whose church was a centre of the resistance. They meet a conservative who has dedicated an oak grove to his "heroes", and the granddaughter of a "public enemy" of the time. Deliberately subjective, the film poses the question of what significance language has for national solidarity - also with regard to Ireland, where the filmmaker originates from.