In the Podlasie countryside of the late 1950s, Zośka grows up marked by the Polish plait: a symbol of shame and rural fears. Hoping that obedience will bring her love, she tries to escape the family stigma. Years later, she realises that her mother’s fate has befallen her. When her daughter’s future is in danger, for the first time, Zośka stands up to the world that taught her to be quiet.