16 year old Lilya lives in a dreary suburb somewhere in the former Soviet Union. Her mother has moved to the US with a new man and Lilya is looking forward to joining them. But as time goes by and no letters or money arrive from her mother, she realizes she’s been abandoned. Heartbroken and broke, Lilya is forced to move into a dilapidated flat with no electricity or heating. Her only friend is the 11-year-old boy Volodya, who she sometimes allows to sleep on her sofa. They hang around together and fantasize about a better life. The key to that better life seems to come in the form of Andrei. After Lilya falls in love with him, he asks her to follow him to Sweden. Despite little Volodya’s jealousy-fueled suspicions, Lilya packs her bags. Suddenly she’s sitting on a airplane bound for Sweden, not knowing what will happen next...