Maria (7) follows how her family ultimately breaks up over one summer. Maria’s mother and father want to get divorced again, grandfather drinks and uncle becomes mentally ill. Grandmother works two shifts in a factory doing her best to take care of everyone.
Maria tries to figure out the problems in her family, but does it in the way of a child – drawing her own conclusions. As the others fear for Maria’s uncle, he is for Maria a man with many stories. In his world trees talk, wind whispers and butterflies scream because they live so briefly. When the ambulance picks up Maria’s uncle again, she doesn’t understand why.
Maria’s parents keep on quarrelling, grandfather and grandmother don’t talk to each other any more and uncle’s room stays empty. Escaping reality, Maria creates an imaginary world, similar to her uncle’s. She adventures out in the area with other children and learns that all grown-ups are sad – like the butterflies. At home, Maria’s uncle gets worse – now starting to believe he’s Jesus, father disappears to another town and grandfather drinks harder. Neighbours whisper and the curtains twitch at windows as Maria passes by.
As Maria and her grandmother visit uncle in the hospital, they hear that he has escaped. Maria and her grandmother run around in the neighbourhood trying to find him, but don’t succeed. Later on, Maria’s uncle will be found behind the church. He has hanged himself.
The bad rumours about the family increase and other children aren’t allowed to play with Maria any more. The rain comes and the terrible hotness ends. Maria, her mother and grandmother drive away from the neighbourhood. Maria watches the road float by under the tires of the car. She knows that the summer is over.