Kjell Askildsen

Thomas

Thomas, a former doctor, a widower, lives alone in a basement apartment in Helsinki. His routine becomes even more limited when his misanthropic brother dies, reducing Thomas' human contact to practically nil. As with many seniors, he's basically invisible to passersby, though Thomas in particular avoids engaging with those around him. When he runs into his estranged daughter Marie, he tries to create a bridge.

Maria Marusjka

The keeper of the light house, Ewert, lives at the coast with his wife and daughter, constantly thinking about the lost love of his past, Maria Marusjka. Worried about his daughter, about to be a woman, he makes the wrong decisions.