Anto Wijaya is 24 years old with a new wife and child, and has been working at Kawah Ijen for 3 years.
Anto has perhaps the best shot at a better life. Having taught himself English and now French, he has the intelligence one might need to make a better life for his family. He dropped out of junior high school to help his father, a lifelong miner, and now lacks the diploma required to get a decent job in nearby cities. This fact, however, doesn’t stymie his drive to escape his predicament. His family has to compete with his French textbooks for attention, while his fascination with tourists who visit Kawah Ijen enthralls him to the point of obsession. Throughout the film, we watch Anto stumble as he attempts to escape from the harsh realities of his life.