12 year old Johan is completely in love with Veronica. He does everything he can to get her to notice him - but nothing works until he completely gives up.

During World War I in Norway, the lives of a shipping agent and his family are put under pressure when he becomes bankrupt and his wife's mentally disturbed sister comes to stay.

In a rural western town in 1890 a woman has a mute old daughter after relations with her step father, which in his need of money, wants to sell them off to a rich skin tradesman. While resisting this, the woman turns lame.