During the day, Lera studies humankind and its needs through opinion polls, which are an educational practice at the institute; at night, she dances under the pseudonym Gerda in a club to support herself and her mother. The people she meets are as unfortunate as her family. Her father has recently left for another woman, but he constantly returns home, unable to make his choice and thereby making the life of close people intolerable. The mother painfully endures the breakup and constantly sleeps, ignoring reality. Lera doesnu2019t know how to carry on, where to go and what to live for, and u2014 most importantly u2014 how to improve life. The adult world, invariable unfortunate, which Lera observes day and night, seems hopeless.