It follows Erik as he gets expelled from his school in due to his violent behavior, and is transferred to a boarding school. He engages in a forbidden love relationship with a kitchen staff member, Marja.
The orphan Jonna is longing for a mother. One day, an old car stops outside the orphanage and out steps a gorilla that picks Jonna for adoption. It soon becomes clear that they have more things in common than they initially thought. When they start becoming a family, Tord from the local authorities shows up and threatens to send Jonna back to the orphanage.