The film, in individual episodes, captures the fate of Bedřich Smetana from 1856 until the end of his life, from his young years until the moment when, exhausted by human and artistic hardship, he sees the fulfillment of his great dream, the opening of the National Theatre.

Karel Höger
as Bedřich Smetana

Zdenka Procházková
as Bettyna, Smetana's wife

Jaromír Spal
as writer Jan Neruda

Bedřich Karen
as dr. Ladislav Rieger

Vlasta Fialová
as paní Fröjda

Oldřich Lukeš
as Karel Sabina

Eduard Cupák
as Antonín Dvořák

Jana Rybářová
as writer Eliška Krásnohorská

Libuše Matějová
as Otylie Malá

Eduard Kohout
as dr. K. Sladkovský