Fanny prepares a memorial for her deceased artist mother at a gallery. Family and friends gather to eat dinner surrounded by her mother’s pictures. It is dignified, tranquil, and well-organized, but beneath the surface tensions simmer.

An innocent and beautiful girl, Linnea rents an apartment in Stockholm just before WWI. As she works for an old man who owns a photography studio she meets Anna, a photographer with whom she develops a complex friendship. Anna’s circus-performer boyfriend and European politics complicate Linnea’s routine.

14-year old Em likes to hang around in her old play house. One day a boy, Jakob, sets fire to it, and Em catches a brief glimpse of him before he disappears. They meet again a few days later. For the first time in her life, Em falls in love.