In the oppressive heat of 1941, sixteen-year-old Lina Vilkas is at a pivotal moment in her life, poised between artistic aspirations, the thrill of first loves, and the blissful joys of youth in her beloved Kaunas, Lithuania. However, her peaceful existence is abruptly disrupted when her father, Kostas Vilkas, becomes actively involved in the Lithuanian resistance against the Soviet regime, secretly crafting documents to assist those desperately seeking asylum from the turmoil engulfing the Baltic states. One fateful night, everything changes when Lina's family, including her mother Elena, younger brother Jonas, and friend Andrius, is violently taken by the NKVD and deported to a stark gulag located in the bleak Altaysky region of Siberia.
Their harrowing journey is filled with a relentless torrent of brutality and hardship, as Lina and her family endure appalling conditions alongside other prisoners. Among them is Ona, a devastated mother who, consumed by grief over the loss of her baby, tragically provokes her captors into ending her life. Upon reaching the gulag, the ruthless Commander Komarov offers Lina and her fellow inmates a grim choice: a reduced sentence of 25 years for signing a confession. However, under the steadfast resolve of Elena, Lina and Jonas bravely refuse to succumb, facing even harsher realities at the hands of their oppressors.
Life inside the gulag devolves into a relentless cycle of labor and despair, as the inmates are forced to work tirelessly to fulfill backbreaking quotas, such as planting crops like potatoes that provide scant nourishment. Despite the desolation surrounding her, Lina discovers a source of solace in committing her experiences to art and written notes, interspersed with heartbreaking flashbacks of happier times. In a courageous effort to connect with her father, she cleverly embeds messages within her drawings, hoping to convey their plight.
As Lina bravely maneuvers through the treacherous backdrop of the gulag, she finds herself drawn to Andrius, who jeopardizes his own safety to smuggle essential provisions to the prisoners. Elena's ingenuity shines through when Commander Komarov attempts to recruit her as a translator; she stands firm against collaboration with their captors. In a daring act of resistance, Lina creates a caricature that portrays Komarov as a monster, infuriating him and leading to the destruction of her artwork and messages.
Meanwhile, the NKVD guard Nikolai Kretzsky, an ethnic Ukrainian shunned by his Russian peers, becomes infatuated with Elena. After he learns of her husband Kostas's murder at the hands of Soviet forces, he contemplates committing an act of violence against her. Yet, propelled by Elena's undeniable courage, Kretzsky lashes out at a Russian guard, ultimately leading to his own promotion to Commander with a new assignment at a far-flung gulag on Trofimovsky Island in the Laptev Sea. As the authorities transfer Lina, Elena, and Jonas to this perilous site, they must brave the unyielding cruelty of their new reality.
As the harsh Arctic conditions continue to wear down the human spirit, the inevitable happens: Elena's untimely death occurs due to the convergence of brutal circumstances and inadequate rations, poignantly illustrating the catastrophic results of neglect. This heartbreaking loss ignites a fire within Lina, compelling her to confront the oppressive forces that have devastated her family, demanding fair treatment and basic necessities for herself and her fellow inmates.
In a moment steeped in remorse, Kretzsky grapples with his complicity in the tragedy that befell Elena. Deeply moved by Lina's unwavering spirit and the memory of her sister, he makes a profound choice to grant Lina and Jonas their freedom, safeguarding them from further suffering. This poignant act of redemption offers a bittersweet conclusion to the siblings' excruciating journey.
As the film concludes, the camera captures an expansive view of Lina and Jonas walking along the windswept beach, the silhouette of their awaiting ship visible on the horizon. The once desolate landscape, a stark reminder of their confinement and suffering, has been transformed into a symbol of hope and new beginnings, as they set forth on an uncharted chapter of their lives, irrevocably changed by their harrowing experiences.
