Crotchety retired doctor Isak Borg travels from Stockholm to Lund, Sweden, with his pregnant and unhappy daughter-in-law, Marianne, in order to receive an honorary degree from his alma mater. Along the way, they encounter a series of hitchhikers, each of whom causes the elderly doctor to muse upon the pleasures and failures of his own life. These include the vivacious young Sara, a dead ringer for the doctor's own first love.
Susanne is a woman in her mid-30s and the owner of a modeling agency in Stockholm. She accompanies her prize model, Doris, on a trip to Gothenburg so that Doris can be photographed. While traveling, both women seek out romance, Susanne with a married lover and Doris with an older gentleman who sees his deceased wife in the young model. The two women struggle to understand their romantic motivations and in the process form an unlikely friendship.
An elderly gentleman lives alone with his maid Louise. He spends his days chatting with the confectioner who lives and works downstairs, playing chess with his brother Karl Fredrick, and content with his memories. His young wife Gerda ran out on him five years ago, taking their young daughter with her. Now, unbeknownst to the gentleman, she’s back… and living in the upstairs apartment with the child and her new husband. When Gerda finally faces the man, sparks will fly and old wounds will be reopened. Bergman's TV adaptation of August Strindberg's play "Storm" was presented on the 111th anniversary of the author's birth. The production was also shown in Denmark and Norway and received glowing reviews. Bergman was celebrated as an outstanding TV director and was praised for his tact and sympathy in depicting old age, his superior lighting and fine camera work as well as his understanding of the medium in his use of close-ups.
