At the heart of a densly wooded forest lies a mysterious girls' boarding school, cut off from the outside world by a grat wall with no door. Within, a group of youngsters aged between seven and twelve gather round a sma;; coffin, from which emerges a new pupil, six year old Iris. Led by the eldest girl, Bianca, Iris is introduced to this strange yet enchanting world of lamp-lit forest paths and eerie underground passageways, where there are no adults save for some elderly servants and two melancholy young teachers...