The film takes viewers into student life in Tartu in 1972, where dreams, a longing for freedom, and academic pressure intertwine with young people’s search for identity. At the center is physics student Vipper, who, despite his talent, is denied a cum laude distinction after a strict professor, Subotin, gives him a low grade. Through parties, exam anxiety, and laboratory experiments, the film reveals an academic culture where fairness is not always the guiding principle. Vipper’s quiet struggle for recognition, honesty, and freedom takes a tragic turn that challenges the humanity of the entire system. The film reflects the intellectual atmosphere of the era and the fragile hopes of youth, asking: what is the cost when a person doesn’t fit the system’s mold?