Sisters Anna and Ester are traveling with Anna’s son when they are forced by Ester’s poor health to stay in a hotel in a strange country seemingly on the verge of war. Anna shuns the attentions of Ester and goes out to pick up a man. Ester is left to cope with the pain of her desire and her illness.

Part of Ingmar Bergman’s “Faith” trilogy, this austere drama continues a thematic exploration that began with Through a Glass Darkly and further develops its metaphysical material. A tense triangle of characters, juxtaposing two psychologically spiraling sisters, and a shared, suffocating silence.