At the turn of the 20th century, Sofie (Karen-Lise Mynster), a Jew in Copenhagen, falls in love with an artist, Hans Hojby (Jesper Christensen). But he's not Jewish, and her parents instead encourage her to marry Jonas (Torben Zeller), a homely draper. Sofie accepts...but Jonas is mentally ill, and Sofie responds by having an affair with Jonas's brother. She returns to live with her parents and eventually confronts her first love, Hans.