 Smilla Qaavigaaq Jaspersen is a 37 years old woman of Eskimo origin, who is living in Copenhagen. She is unmarried, unadapted, childless and irascible. One day her friend - 6 years old Esajas - falls down from the roof and is killed in what seems an accident. But Smilla believes he has been killed. Highly ranked people try to  convince  her not to interfere, but she does not listen to them and tries to solve the crime. Her sense of snow leads her into a mystery with roots far back in time...