The film was directed by Liv Ullmann, Ingmar Bergman's beloved actress (and for some time his wife), based on his screenplay.
Marcus and Marianne live happily together and are raising a daughter. Marcus's closest friend, David, often visits their home. One day, in Marcus's absence, the relationship between Marianne and David shifts from friendship to something more...
Any resemblance to the real-life biographies of Bergman and Ullmann is not coincidental. In 1950, Bergman himself took Ullmann away from her successful husband and divorced for the second time. However, after having a child and moving their belongings into a shared home, he soon realized that he least wanted to see his new wife every day. Bergman transformed this personal drama into one of the most poignant chapters of his autobiographical book and into a screenplay that was brought to the screen by his former lover.