Winter Light

There are not may communicants when the priest Tomas Ericsson holds his noon service. The small congregation includes the teacher, Märta, who faithfully follows Tomas everywhere. She is reasonably convinced that God does not exist - at least not in the way that Tomas wants Him to - but she once prayed to him she received an answer: He has spoken to her and told her to take care of Tomas. Tomas, the doubter, who is in a profound crisis because of God's silence. Tomas, who shies away from reality because it is ugly. Tomas, who has created his own God whom he locks away in a dark room so that no-one can defile him. Tomas, who mourns the death of his wife and does not want Märta because she lives too close to reality. There is also the Persson couple. Karin, another woman with both feet on the ground, and Jonas, who like Tomas despairs because of God's silence. Can he really exist when people are dying like flies in various wars and country after country can wipe out His creation with atomic weapons? Jonas is on the verge of taking his own life. But Tomas can offer no help - perhaps life becomes immediately understandable if we realise that God does not exist?