It is 1838. Over the course of several centuries Luxembourg was subject to successive authoritarian and foreign regimes. Waves of famine and disease have now decimated its population. In the northern parts of the poverty-stricken region, The Graff family, a patriarch at its head, prevails within the walls of an isolated village. Thanks to them, its inhabitants have survived incessant woes and calamities. To guarantee their future, they have established strict, pious and oppressive rules that must be followed rigorously. But Helene, barely twelve years old, refuses to obey and tries to escape with the help of Graff’s youngest son, Jon, who is deeply attached to Helene. As revenge, Helene's parents are murdered in front of her eyes, Jon is tortured … Helene is left hanging on a tree in the middle of nowhere.