During a train journey, we hear the story of a woman recounting her experience as the daughter of immigrants in Switzerland in the 1970s. A flashback takes us back to 1977: Dora is eight years old, the daughter of seasonal workers, and living illegally in the house. Always shut away in her room, making no noise, she combats boredom and loneliness by inventing a fantasy world born of sensory perceptions combined with the memory of a fairy tale.

Her main connection to reality is through her imagination and the fantastical visions created by the lights and sounds coming from outside. The film gives substance to these intangible sensations. Thanks to archive footage, we are given a glimpse of society in the 1970s: everyday life, people at work, passers-by, children going to school. The little girl’s experience is at odds with the outside world, which alternately stirs fear or curiosity. Dora must be careful not to make a sound, for her neighbour might report her presence.

One day, curiosity drives her to look out of the window, whereupon she is spotted by her neighbour. The first time she finally sees Switzerland is during her deportation journey.