Summary

Asle stands in front of a canvas. He has just painted two intersecting lines: one purple and one brown. He puts the painting away. It is nearly Christmas, and Asle's friend Åsleik, who comes to visit him often, will choose one of Asle's paintings to bring to his sister for the holidays, in exchange for the firewood that Åsleik brings Asle throughout the year. As he cleans up the painting, Asle thinks about his deceased wife Ales, and his little sister, Alida, who died when they were both children.

The narrative begins to switch rapidly between the two Asles. One Asle is sober, he is driving from his home in Dyglja to Bjørgvin to visit the Beyer Gallery, where he sells his paintings. The other Asle is an alcoholic, and is experiencing severe shaking as a result of his drinking, but tries to...