An uptight, confused man lives with his wife and maid next to a big tree. He suspects people live up in the tree when he keeps finding various items and trash under the tree. The government appointed street cleaner doesn't do much, except occasionally take trashy people off the street and into the garbage. He suspects the maid of stealing food and sexual perversions, and the police precinct is literally a farm with insane cops imprisoning lamps and horses.
The intention of the film is to give an impression of what small exotic Denmark looks like, what the strange Danes look like and how they are. Nearly 100 Danes are presented in the film, amongst them a racing cyclist, a Minister of Finance, a popular actor and 13 unmarried women from a provincial town. "There is too much fogginess and rain and melancholy in most of the pictures of Denmark," says Jørgen Leth. "But not in my film. I would like to show you some authentic, clear and beautiful pictures from this strange country."
I en lille provinsby residerer bankdirektør L.W. Jacobsen. Han er ikke særlig interesseret i sin kone, Elsebeth, men derimod i lærerinde og byrådsmedlem frk.Mortensen. Thorsen, byens manufakturhandler er medlem af samme byrådsgruppe som Jacobsen. Så kommer Don Olsen til byen. Olsen er ikke interesseret i det pænere borgerskab, men derimod i mennesker. Ved et tilfælde mødes Thorsen og Olsen og snart drikker de dus. Thorsen slæber ud på natten mælkemandens hest med hjem i lejligheden. Skandalen er en realitet. Thorsen vil flygte, men med Olsens hjælp bejler han i stedet til byens borgere og frk.Mortensen under mottoet "Gør gode tider bedre"
