Helsinki in 1945 sees young, drifting people in search of a better life, seeking refuge from narcotics and crime. Jaakko is one of them, a former war photographer, suffering from memory blackouts and eager to leave the past behind. He's trying to find a job and a place to stay. He finds some small-time work at a photographers' shop and soon meets Elina, an attractive student with a shady lifestyle and an emotional baggage of her own. However, Eino, a staff officer and Jaakko's former brother-in-arms with new career lookouts, is interested in Jaakko's potentially inflammatory frontline pictures. He lures Jaakko with promises of a better future, if "a certain agreement can be found". Jaakko soon must face the unpleasant truths lurking in the shadows.