Lars Olafssen, once a young celebrity in the art world is slipping away fast into the land of has-beens. His long-time art dealer, Ronny, desperately wants his meal ticket back. But Lars refuses to paint. His creativity comes at too high a cost - his inspiration is carnage - blood, guts and limbs. Not surprisingly, this lead to a dreadful breakdown in the past. Nevertheless, an eager Ronny arranges a teaching job for Lars with his old friend Harry at an art school in Koda Lake, a small Canadian town in the middle of nowhere. It's a "therapeutic" measure for Lars, a means to conquer his need to paint in the "safety" of a country retreat... and perhaps lead to romance, with his fellow teacher, Leslie. That is, until Eddie comes into his life.