In 1973, Tapani Brotherus, the son of a Finnish diplomat, reluctantly follows in his father’s footsteps when he lands a job at the embassy in Chile. However, his work on trade agreements stops after a brutal military coup.
Tapani and Lysa Brotherus open their home to more and more political refugees, but the State Department insists on staying neutral. Tapani and Edelstam attend the Neruda funeral and publicly defy the junta.
Swedish Ambassador Harald Edelstam fights prominently for the Chilean refugees, who are still struggling after the coup. Meanwhile, the political motives and actions of the refugees living in the Brotherus’ home are of concern to Tapan and Lysa.
The Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs decides to send an inspector to Santiago. Brotherus and Jaamala are trying to move the refugees out of their homes, while Swedish Ambassador Edelstam is expelled from the country.