Sven and Olaf are identical twins. They are the youngest of six siblings who grow up on a small farm in the forest near the Tyrifjord in Norway. They have lived on the farm and worked in the forest their entire life. They never married or had children, and have stuck together through thick and thin.
When one brother becomes sick and dies, we follow the surviving brother through his grief and the process of creating a new life for himself. It’s a story about what it’s like to lose your best, and perhaps only, friend and life companion. It is a story of sorrow and loss, but also of the struggle to overcome these feelings. The film gives us insight into a place where not much has happened for the past fifty years. It gives insight into nature and living in harmony with it. and finally, it is a story about a way of life that has become increasingly rare, but which is nevertheless a significant and important part of our cultural heritage.
Olaf is a fascinating character it's easy to grow fond of. He is a man of few words, equipped with a solid portion of self-irony. The farm has not seen any major upgrades in over fifty years. In the background, we see new buildings rise up: some new neighbors have bought the farm, but Olaf has been permitted to live in a small house on the property as long as he wishes. We see with Olaf how «a new era» takes over for the old. We follow Olaf until he himself ends up at a nursing home and is eventually buried next to his brother.