Together with a group of homeless people, childhood friends Arnold and Benny are squatters in the Free State of Haveje in Copenhagen. Their ideals and their friendship are put to the test when Haveje becomes the target of power-hungry politicians and money-grabbing investors. “In the Middle of the Night” has clear references to the Free State of Christiania in Copenhagen, mixed with the memories of Kim Larsen, lead singer of the popular rock band Gasolin – more or less playing himself in the role of Benny. This accounts for the huge commercial success of this urban western, as director Erik Balling has described “In the Middle of the Night”. Larsen’s songs, interspersed at key moments in the film, have all become hits. Audiences have been captivated by the film’s naïve and somewhat escapist attitude. “In the Middle of the Night” has gone down in the history of Nordisk Film as a cult film.