Stockholm at the beginning of the twentieth century. Lydia, the daughter of a landscape painter, and Arvid, a young journalist at the beginning of his career, fall in love at first sight. But the time is not ripe for their happiness: after the sudden death of her father, Lydia finds herself without an inheritance. Believing that he has nothing to offer her, penniless Arvid, who comes from a poor background, shies away from the idea of marriage. They part. When they meet again ten years later – both are now married and have children – they embark upon a passionate affair with unforeseeable consequences.
Director, actor and writer Pernilla August’s adaptation of Hjalmar Söderberg’s classic 1912 novel of the same title is based on a screenplay by Lone Scherfig (Italian for Beginners, An Education). The topic under debate is the eternal question of true love. Is it merely a dream or can it ever be experienced? A romance about two people who transcend the morals of their time and discover their own, unexpected ways of fulfilling their emotions.