When the Trees Fall tells the story of a five year old little rebellious girl Vitka with her teenage cousin Larysa and her boyfriend, the young criminal Scar in a Ukrainian provincial setting.
Larysa finds herself at a crossroads after the death of her father. Yearning to be self made, the village community ostracizes her for loving Scar. Larysa discovers her grandmother once sacrificed her love for a young gypsy abandoning him for traditional values and other people's opinions.
Larysa's mother is too psychologically weak to support her daughter. Larysa and Scar plan to escape from a life of crime, misery and their relatives. But are they ready to pay the full price for freedom?