A theatre company travels through Switzerland performing the classical comedy by Aristophanes, Lysistrata, in which the Athenian women revolt in order to force their men to end the war. Simultaneously, the three leading actors — played by icons of Swedish cinema Bibi Andersson, Harriet Andersson and Gunnel Lindblom — deal with problems in their personal lives, as they begin to realise the parallels with the roles they are performing and the tragedy inherent in them. This sarcastic film, incisive and relevant today, reflects on the multiple challenges faced by women in a patriarchal society.