At the height of the Cold War, farm labourer Karl-Göran Persson sets out to fortify his house. He collects scrap metal, which he builds into the walls to erect a fortress meant to protect him and his neighbours. His efforts provoke the incomprehension of everyone except the children. As construction progresses, the conflict with the village's inhabitants intensifies.
The film is inspired by the life of Karl-Göran Persson, who lived in Scania, in southern Sweden, between 1894 and 1975. Deeply marked by the images and messages conveyed by the brochure "If War Comes" (Om kriget kommer), distributed several times by the Swedish government from 1943 onward to prepare the civilian population for war, he transformed his house into a shelter using salvaged materials. The redoubt he built at Söderto still stands today.
« This film has lived with me for a very long time.