Stockholm in 1890. Iris' mother Helena is a successful, emancipated artist who will soon have an exhibition in Paris. Eight-year-old Iris can already speak some French, is accustomed to brioches for breakfast and is immensely looking forward to accompanying her mother. But then things turn out differently: Instead of taking Iris with her, Helena sends her to stay with her brother, a farmer and marine postman who lives a poorly life with his wife on the remote Åland Islands. Nevertheless they take her in kindly, especially when she tells them that her mother has passed away. And she soon finds a friend in Sofia, the daughter of a deceased captain, who saves her from drowning. Together, they scour the island and come across a family secret: Might it be that Iris' father was not a polar expeditionist who was fatally attacked by a polar bear? "Iris" tells the story of a girl from the city who must come to terms with her rural origins in such a refreshingly vivid manner that the fantastically equipped costume film never once appears outmoded.