The film takes place in a small village in the Nile Delta during the 1930s. The peasant-farmers rely entirely on the Nile to irrigate their crops; especially their cotton crop, which is their only real source of income. The King's minions --- themselves minions of the occupying British colonials --- allow the fellaheen ten days to irrigate their crops before the harvest. That in itself is barely enough; but then the news comes that the ration is being cut to five days only. The villagers thus decide to organize and send a petition to the authorities asking them to restore the previous ration. This is doomed to failure, however, because the mayor of the village, the wealthier landowners and local bey have a different agenda and are conspiring to maintain their own status by burdening the fellaheen. Abu Swelem is the most respected man in the village. He remained on the land while his two former comrades from the 1919 uprising against the British have moved up to positions in the government or in business and now carry the honorary title of "sheikh". Eventually, the villages will have to fight for their land and their crops, for without them, they will surely die.