France in the fifties. The teenage orphan Sylvie is put in an institution for "fallen" or endangered girls, subjected to harsh treatment by the bigoted nuns who run the institution like a prison. Sylvie befriends a girl who wants to escape.

1920. Jean Rezeau and his elder brother were living happily in their family estate in Brittany, until the death of their grandmother. The return of their mother, a worthy descendant of fairytales' witches, brings an all new atmosphere to their home.