Heidi, a pretty sixteen year old girl living with her young, single mother falls foul of her own burgeoning sexuality, and id forced to leave home. She flees to the snowy ski resort of Lake Jindabyne to a former boyfriend whom she is upset to find is no longer interested. Left to fend for herself, she uses her mind, her spirit and ultimately her body to befriend a cross-section of locals in the small, freezing town; kindly motel owner, Irene, service station worker, Bianca and the despondent Joe, whose intense relationship with Heidi sends each of their ideas about sexuality, class, family and future spiralling out of control.