Trieste, 1924. During recess, elementary school children play, speak loudly and throw paper planes. The view from the window is dominated by the sea, which is also a topic of discussion between Julka, Marko and Danilo, the three Slovenian pupils of the class. While Danilo is telling Julka that he went fishing at night in the summer, Marko secretly pulls Julka’s braid and Danilo runs after him. “Pej no sem, Danilo!” (“Come here, Danilo!”), says Julka. She cannot see the Italian teacher who is entering and hears her speak Slovenian.
A silence, heavy like a stone, falls on the classroom and everyone stares at Julka. The master grabs her violently and hangs her by the braids on the hook. His eyes moisten while his feet don’t touch the ground. The sight of his classmates blurs as they are forced to write a thousand times in their notebooks “I have to speak only Italian”. Julka’s braid bow rests on the hook of the coat rack like a butterfly with open wings.
