Smultronställe literally means ‘wild-strawberry place’, but figuratively it is a uniquely special spot – a place or time of happiness. 76-year-old Prof. Borg (Sjöström) drives from Stockholm to Lund with his daughter-in-law (Thulin) to receive an honorary doctorate. On the long journey he recalls his past – his girlfriend Sara with whom he used to gather strawberries and who married his brother, and his own unsuccessful marriage. Through use of flashback the film creates a compassionate picture of a man facing up to the disappointments and sadnesses of an emotionally restricted life. In the tranquil dénouement Borg evokes his own personal smultronställe.