Charlotte is an internationally renowned pianist. She has two daughters: Eva and Helena. Helena has been severely disabled for many years. Eva, the eldest daughter, lost her only child to drowning in an accident. She is married to Viktor, a pastor in a small village parish. Charlotte is deeply affected by the death of her friend Leonardo, also a musician, after a long illness.

A plot centered on the simple yet suffocating theme of family possession. The only time two of the greatest icons of Swedish cinema shared the screen: Ingmar and Ingrid Bergman.