This downbeat drama concerns the 19th-century painters who were collectively know as the Skaw (or Skagen) Colony. The group rejected the Impressionist style of painting, opting for the realism of natural light and using the lives of the poor fishing villagers as their inspiration. The film is noteworthy for its groundbreaking cinematography by whiz Sten Holmberg, who manages to find a visual equivalent for the style that the artists use in their paintings. Unsurprisingly, Holmberg won an award for his work on this picture at the Venice Film Festival.