The sawmill in a northern Swedish village close down. Nils becomes unemployed. In order to cope with needs of his family, he is forced to travel south. His wife Karin and the children will stay in the village until further notice. Nils starts working at a factory. In addition to the job, he has been promised a good residence so that the family can move to him.

Loosely based on the Sala gang, a group of five people that committed murders and thefts in Sweden in the 1930s.

"The Theater-creaters" - About the actor Bruscon, who stops in the small village of Utzbach on tour and tries to successfully bring his play "Das Rad der Geschichte/The Wheel of History" on stage. His whole family - the wife, son and daughter - are involved as actors.