Erik, a lecturer in architecture, inherits his father’s large old house in Hellerup, north of Copenhagen. His wife Anna, a well-known television newscaster, suggests that they invite their friends to come and live with them. In this way she hopes to evade the boredom that has begun to seep into their marriage. Before long, a dozen women, men and children move into the country house, make collective decisions, engage in discussions and go swimming together in the nearby Øresund strait. Their fragile equilibrium threatens to come undone when Erik falls in love with his student Emma and the young woman moves into the house. Loosely based on Thomas Vinterberg’s own childhood experiences, the director depicts a private experiment from the 1970s in which community and individuality, freedom and tradition and the promise of happiness also harbour dangers.

Actress Trine Dyrholm received Silver Berlin Bear in Berlin International Film Festival (2016).