In the autumn of 1944, contrary to the order of the Nazi command to evacuate to the south, residents of the Norwegian town of Kirkenes took refuge in an abandoned mine. The command of the Soviet Army became aware of the intentions of the Nazis to blow up the old tunnels of the city, but the Soviet soldiers managed to prevent the tragedy.
During the German retreat in WWII, Finnmark and Nord-Troms were laid waste - villages, schools and hospitals razed and 60,000 people driven into mountain hideouts - but, come liberation, those who’d survived in caves and huts returned with fierce determination to rebuild their homeland.
Lina is in her best age, mid-30s. She is strong-willed, resilient and self-conscious. There has never been a man in her life, on the contrary, she even had to play the man's role on the small farm to sustain herself and the parents. But the quest for true love and longing for a man is still strong. She has never had the opportunity to realize this dream in the confined environment she lives in. Her obstinacy has also scared off the men. But one day Gilbert returned to the village after being in America for 20 years.
