Set in the early 1960s, the story revolves around high school sweethearts Jonas and Agnete, their friendships and families, trials and tribulations.

Seven-year-old Solvej lives alone with her mentally ill mother in an apartment filled with canned food and dirty clothes. As her mother's mental illness worsens, it is up to Solvej to take up the fight and accept the circumstances that mother and daughter are faced with. Amidst the chaos, Solvej dreams herself away in her drawings, which come to life and carry her away from the world she has been placed in.