Confession

In 1930, in a European city, 17-year-old Lisa Koslov is handed an envelope containing two tickets to a piano concert as her mother sees her off at the train station. She suspects the sender might be stalking her. Her friend Hildegard urges her to attend, setting the plot in motion.

At the concert, Lisa realizes that the mysterious man behind the envelope is the renowned pianist Michael Michailow. Hildegard quickly accepts his dinner invitation on Lisa's behalf. The encounter marks the start of a dangerous attraction that will pull Lisa into a web of secrecy.

The day after the concert, Michailow pleads loneliness and asks to see Lisa again. Lisa discovers that he has lied to the conservatory professor to insinuate himself as her tutor. The deception deepens his hold over her.

During a charged moment, Michailow kisses Lisa. Despite recognizing the ethical trouble, she responds to the kiss. The kiss seals the troubling pattern of seduction.

The third day, Michailow calls Lisa at home and persuades her to sneak out. They travel to a seamy cabaret to continue his patient seduction away from prying eyes. The atmosphere grows more dangerous for Lisa.

In the cabaret, a tawdry number is sung by Vera Kowalska, and Vera and Michailow recognize one another. He kisses Lisa again in the spotlight. Vera faints from shock at the sight.

In the ensuing chaos, Vera shoots Michailow dead. The murder triggers the courtroom drama to come. Lisa stands at the edge of a perilous situation.

Back in court, Vera confesses to the murder but refuses to disclose her motive. The lawyers debate how much truth should be revealed about Michailow and Vera's past. The outcome hinges on Vera's intent to protect Lisa's reputation.

As lawyers argue, Vera's suitcase is brought forward as evidence. The presiding judge orders the suitcase opened to see if it contains mitigating information. Vera insists she will give a full statement if the suitcase is not opened, heightening the drama.

In her backstory, Vera is a young opera diva in Warsaw. Michailow lures her to a party at his apartment, where she becomes drunk and passes out. The memory foreshadows the scandal and its consequences for Vera.

The next morning, Michailow returns from the front as an amputee and Vera contemplates how to tell her husband. She becomes involved with him, leading to gossip and a legal fight when her husband sues for adultery. The affair costs Vera custody of her daughter and begins a long exile from her career.

Fifteen years pass as Vera travels Europe searching for Leonide Kirow, now using the name Koslov, and her daughter. She locates them on the day of the shooting and learns that Leonide has been dead for three years and had remarried. Lisa remains unaware that her second mother is Vera.

When open court resumes, the parties avoid discussing the old scandal and Vera is allowed to present her full statement. Her testimony explains the 1912 events that shaped her actions and her motive to protect Lisa's reputation.

Despite finding Vera guilty of murder, the court grants her a pardon, recognizing the complexity of her past and her attempt to shield Lisa. The resolution blends mercy with accountability.

After the trial, Lisa approaches Vera to wish her well. Vera envisions a warm embrace, but instead she calmly thanks Lisa and watches her drive away. The film closes on a bittersweet note about mothers, secrets, and the costs of truth.