The brothers Wilbur (Jamie Sives) and Harbour (Adrian Rawlins) are in their thirties, when their father dies, leaving them with a dilapidated second hand bookshop. The cynical psychologist, Horst (Mads Mikkelsen), and the sexy nurse Moira (Julia Davis) nbelieve, like Harbour, that Wilbur needs a girlfriend. But even though women swoon over Wilbur, they can't get close to him, and the purpose of his life eludes him. It is Harbour, who falls in love, when Alice (Shirley Henderson), who lives isolated with her daughter Mary (Lisa McKinlay), enters the lives of the brothers. Alice supplements her wages from a job at the hospital by selling books that the patients have left behind. Wilbur regains his lust for life; the shy Alice blossoms and Mary starts reading the many books of the second hand bookshop. Harbour is happier than ever, but with him he carries a secret than threatens to surface.

After attending film studies at The Institute of Film & Media Science at Copenhagen University from 1976 through 1980, Lone Scherfig entered the National Film School in Copenhagen, Denmark in 1980, from which she graduated as a Film Director in 1984.

Lone Scherfig has written and directed a number of short films, radio plays/drama, and television series. Her feature film debut THE BIRTHDAY TRIP (1990) established her as an important director. The film was selected to participate in the Panorama section at the Berlin International Film Festival in 1991, at the New Directors series at Museum of Modern Art in New York, and won the Grand Jury Prix and Acting Awards in Rouen. Scherfig's second feature ON OUR OWN (1998) was the recipient of the Grand Prize at the Montreal Film Festival, the Cinekid Award in Amsterdam and participated in the Children Section at the Berlin International Film Festival in 1998. Her third feature, ITALIAN FOR BEGINNERS (2001), which is the 5th Danish Dogme film, has been a big success with film critics and moviegoers worldwide. The film, which was selected to participate in the Main Competition section at the Berlin International Film Festival, has won a number of awards at various festivals worldwide, including: Silver Bear for "Best Director", FIPRESCI International Film Critics Award and Ecumenical Prize at the Berlinale (2001), Danish Film Academy: "Best Original Screenplay" (2001), "Best Supporting Actress" and "Best Actor", The Hamptons International Film Festival: "Best Film" USA (2001), Sao Paulo International Film Festival: "Jury Selection" Brazil (2001), Troia International Film Festival: Golden Dolphin "Jury Prize" Portugal (2001), Valladolid International Film Festival: "Best Director'', "Best Film" & "Best Actor" Spain (2001), Warsaw Film Festival: "People's Choice" Poland (2001), Festival D'Arcachon: "Best Screenplay" & "Best Actor" France (2001), Paris International Film Festival: "Best Film" France (2001), Festival Cinesonne: "Best Screenplay" France (2001). In addition, Lone Scherfig won the prestigious Danish Carl Th. Dreyer Honorary Award in 2001.

Lone Scherfig's latest feature, WILBUR WANTS TO KILL HIMSELF is an English language film, shot in Scotland and Denmark.