Set in Malmö during World War II, Stig (Johan Widerberg) is a 15-year-old high school student trying to navigate adolescence while the specter of war looms over Sweden. His attractive 37-year-old teacher, Viola (Marika Lagercrantz), is trapped in an unhappy, unfulfilled marriage with a traveling salesman named Kjell (Tomas von Brömssen), an alcoholic obsessed with classical music. Seeking solace and desire outside her marriage, Viola initiates an intense sexual affair with Stig. As the relationship deepens, Stig is torn between his growing sexual maturity, the secrecy of the liaison, and his sympathy for Viola's lonely, tragic husband.