59-year-old widower Ove Lindahl lives in a townhouse neighborhood, where he used to be the chairman of the neighborhood association, until he was replaced by Rune, his former friend. Rune is now paralysed after suffering a stroke, and being cared for by his wife, Anita. Ove is depressed after losing his wife, Sonja, a schoolteacher, to cancer six months previously. Having worked at the same company for 43 years, he is pushed into retiring. His suicide attempt to hang himself are repeatedly interrupted by Swedish Iranians Parvaneh, her Swedish husband Patrick and their two children, who are moving into the house across the street.