In the square of an unnamed Danish town, we follow a number of people as they go about their daily business, big and small: The police officer tries to find out whether the Christmas tree seller has a "permit" to sell Christmas trees, the bicycle repairman invents a new kind of bicycle, the baker's assistant and the chimney sweep are in love, and the barber is working on a rug made of hair. Meanwhile, the Christmas tree seller sits carving small wooden figures and talking to everyone who passes ...
John and René are in their twenties, close friends but different enough for René to be nicknamed Thunderbird, while John remains just plain John. John feels irresistibly drawn into Thunderbird's orbit, but René isn't all flash. He actually longs to share John's plainness and quiet calm....