1943: Nine-year-old Eero whose father is killed during the war is brought to Sweden to foster parents to his protection like thousands of other Finnish children. Eero feels lost, particularly as his foster mother Signe behaves very unfriendly. She was expecting a little girl and still mourns for her daughter who drowned in the sea.

Just when Julia is going to finish her horse drawing, her mother goes to the shop and leaves Julia to watch over her little brother Jonni. Then Julia dreams that when she grows up, she will have her very own circus horse, Josafat.

Maria is an actress, someone who is used to playing with and acting on feelings, her own as well as others’. However, behind the role there is a disappointed person who does not feel she has achieved what she wanted in life. All this changes when she is cast for the leading role in a play.