Adalbert, a paranoid, overprotective single dad imposes a set of 20 rules on his daughter Sylvie before she leaves the small town of Ormont-Dessus for university. Making sure that she obeys them perfectly, he secretly follows her to Basel, but ends up falling in with a party crowd and breaking all the rules himself.

11-year-old Pola and her best friend Polly spend all their time at the local outdoor pool, Plitsch Platsch, where Polly's parents run a café. When the pool is closed due to budget cuts and Polly's family moves away, Pola suddenly finds herself alone. Refusing to give up, she teams up with her clever new classmate Rosalie to try to save the pool. Together, they start a petition and rally with the local children. Along the way, Pola discovers new friendships and learns that change is a part of growing up.