Little Dina (Maria Bonnevie) is the unwitting cause of a tragic accident for which her grief-stricken father will never forgive her. Neglected and deprived of love, the wild child grows to womanhood, torn between morbid thoughts and lust for life. Lured out of her isolation by music, an old family friend (Gerard Depardieu) marries her and attempts to break her will.

But when the Russian anarchist Leo (Christopher Eccleston) appears on the scene, Dina is at last offered a challenge worthy of her dark powers. This spectacular film is set among the fjords and majestic mountains of Norway.