KIM serves as a professor of film studies at a rural college, away from his family. Having kept the memories of birds from his childhood, he intends to make a film based on the images of birds that appear in his dreams. In his position as educator, KIM finds himself torn between artistic ideals of the film and the realities of life which his student's must encounter daily. It is in this setting that he struggles to discover the nature of his identity. A middle school science teacher, Young-hee, although a long-time lover of KIM's is not confident in their future relationship. She asks KIM to accompany her to her childhood hometown. During the trip, the two begin to realize that each belongs to different realities from the other. Young-hee begins to desire a relationship of a different sort with him. However, KIM's ambition is to redeem his own artistic value blurred between film fantasy and reality.

가족과 떨어져 지방에 혼자 내려와 있는 영화과 교수 김은 현실에 정착하지 못하고 겉돌기만 한다. 첫 번째 영화가 실패한 뒤 새로운 시나리오를 쓰고 있지만 잘 풀리지 않고 자유로운 성관계를 맺고 있던 교사 영희도 관계를 발전시킬 것을 요구해 온다. 김은 어린 시절 새에 관한 기억에 집착하면서 이 모든 현실을 잊으려 하는데...