In 1941 Poland, silence is a way of life. Eighteen-year-old seminary student Koby Bruk has watched for two years as the people of his home town allowed the Germans to move in, displace homes and families, and impose their rule on the people who remain. When Koby is bullied by his classmate Irvine, he chooses to speak up against him. This doesn't sit well with Irvine's friend, Hitler Youth Oskar Keplar. Oskar corners Koby in an alleyway and makes a sinister promise.