Laila is an innocent Lappish girl and the only daughter of a reindeer herder. During World War II, Laila rescues a crashed German fighter pilot, Hans, and the two develop warm feelings for each other during his convalescence. Years later, after the war, Hans returns to Lapland as a freelance photographer and manages to lure Laila to run away with him to the capital, Helsinki, to start a career as a photo model, much to the chagrin of her traditional father, Aslak. After initial happiness, however, Hans abandons Laila, and the decadent lifestyle of a big city sends her life into a downward spiral.