Oscar and Josefine are celebrating Midsummer with Oscar's grandparents in the country. A demon, Thorsen, gives Josefine the gift of enabling her to travel back in time. Visiting Oscar's family in the 17th century, Josefine saves a sickly young girl from the stake. But now the villagers see Josefine as a witch and want to burn her at the stake instead.

In his new film, an intriguing and delicately crafted drama, Malmros portrays the poignant story of a man, who grew up in very modest circumstances in the early years of the 20th century, but whose diligence, intelligence and willingness to endure hardship helped him to become a leading brain surgeon. A success story on the face of it, but a story about a man - who is none other than the director's father - a man of powerful emotions. The film explores the nature and origin of the guilt that repeatedly deprived him of happiness.