In a time of social change and unrest, war and poverty, a young working class woman, Maria, wins a camera in a lottery. The decision to keep it alters her whole life.
Inspired by real-life Elsa Andersson, this mostly fictional movie tells the story of her upbringing as a farmer's daughter, in the early 1900s, who dreams of getting away from the farm and becoming an aviatrix.
Johan moves to a new city and is quickly bullied by a group of young people. He meets Linnea but all attempts to get to know her are stopped by mockery and humiliation of the gang. To avoid the harassment, he joins another gang where he is involved in crime and drug dealing.