It's 1947 in Estonia. After the suicide of her friend, young student Marie starts to feel threatened by the Stalinist regime. She tries to find ways to escape across the sea, but it turns out to be more difficult than she expected.

Autumn 1944 in Tallinn, Estonia. German forces retreat as the Russian army settles in. Young soldier Aleksei is sent from the frontline to work in a prison filled with Estonian political prisoners.