A young boy lies awake at night waiting for his drunken dad to come home. Listening to his mom's sobs, the boy imagines himself the hero, rescuing the father from his drinking buddies and bringing him home. When the father finally comes home for real, instead of relief, the boy is filled with dread. This film shows how a child tries to cope with parental addiction and conflict.
Swedish writer Stig Dagerman (1923-1954) was a literary sensation who after a few productive years, suddenly fell silent. Struggling with writer's block, Dagerman wrote the essay "Our Need for Consolation" about his inner demons and his quest for freedom. For the first time in English, featuring Stellan Skarsgard as an on-camera narrator, this film brings Dagerman's powerful words to life in the form of a visual poem.
