Synopsis

In the 1950s, nine-year-old Elina lives with her mother and a younger brother and sister in Northern Sweden. The family belongs to the Finnish-speaking minority. Elina's father has died of tuberculosis and she misses him badly. Elina also contracted tuberculosis, but recovered. However, since she missed so much schooling as a result, she has been put in a new class with a different teacher, the strict Tora Holm. Her task is to save these poor, dirty Finnish children from a foul life by forcing them to learn to speak Swedish, but things go wrong right from the start. Tora Holm punishes Elina’s classmate Anton for speaking Finnish and Elina cannot accept this. When Einar, a new young teacher, becomes involved and also has the unforgivable effrontery to take the child’s side, Tora Holm is furious. She takes her anger out on Elina and soon battle rages in the little school. Elina revolts in the only way she can – she stops eating and one day, in exasperation she runs away from school towards the dangerous marshes near the village.