In 1992 the South Korean director found out that in his village were living some spies from North Korea who had been released from prison after serving a thirty years sentence. They weren''t allowed to return to their country and were forced to live in small communities, in poor conditions and doing manual labor despite their advancing years. Gradually, friendly relations were widely formed between them and the villagers, who called them "grandfathers"; and Dong Wan, the director, who was originally curious about their foreignness and their problematic situation, found himself documenting their ups and downs during the past decade, while he formed personal ties with them and politically fought for their right to return home.