Gnade (2012) - full transcript

1,000 kilometres
north of the Arctic Circle

lies one of the northernmost cities
in the world, Hammerfest.

During the summer,
the period of the midnight sun,

the sun shines day and night.

During the winter,
from 22 November till 21 January,

the sun never crosses the horizon and
the inhabitants live almost in darkness.

For centuries people have called
this period "the polar night".

HungTY-

Per and Lisa are hungry.

So there's no sunlight all winter?
- No, but it's light all summer.

They've built a gas-to-liquid plant
in the middle of the Arctic Sea.



You were away on jobs all over the world,

Abu Dhabi, China, Chile,

why emigrate this time?

This time is different.
I'll be taking the family.

I've rented a farm up there.

A farm?

Yes, with sheep, chickens and dogs.

And what does Maria say?

She likes the idea.

What about that woman in Kiel?

She'll be sad, won't she?

Won't Markus miss his friends?
- It's not permanent.

Markus'll be glad of the change of air.
- Young people aren't glad of anything.

Well



Why doesn't Niels go alone
and send you money as usual?

The distance used to do you good.

It's not a holiday, Lissy. Niels isn't
just out on a job for a few weeks.

We'll be moving away.

Together.

Got a cigarette?

It's a chance for us.

And we need a second chance.

MERCY

January 3rd
POLAR NIGHT

Do you understand what I'm saying
when I'm speaking English?

You think so?
- Yes.

So, why are the relais installed wrong?

We have done what the deal said.
- No!

To hell with you, arsehole!

Check all the circuits again, will you?

Niels usually knows
what he's talking about, right?

We'll have to stop the gas.

We'll have to.

If we don't get the heat exchanger to work
we must shut down the plant.

It would take a whole day
to get the plant back up and running.

I know
but we can't continue to plank.

We must maintain the mission value.
So, how much time do you need?

Hours, days, weeks?
- Ask Mads, the dickhead.

Come on, have some pity on the man.

Since his wife left him
his brain functions a little bit slow.

You think it's funny? I don't.

I'm responsible for the heat exchanger.

It doesn't work.
Because humidity is in the system.

And that is not my fault.

Speaking of humidity

Is that your hand between my legs?

Here's your tea.
- Thanks.

How are your legs today?

Not very well.

Maybe you need a stronger dose.

But you're looking better today.

I'll be right back with your supper.

That's fine. Thank you.

Ingvild, come here, will you?

Ingmar's eyes have turned all yellow.

Yes, I know.
I've already called the priest. - Good.

Do you remember us?

How are you?

We'd like to thank you.

Thank you.

She was always telling us
what a wonderful person you are.

Thank you, that's nice to hear.

What's wrong with the girl in Mum's bed?

That's Stine. She's very ill.

She has a very rare disease.
There's no chance you'll get it.

But why isn't she at home
with her parents?

They brought her to our hospice
because it's all very hard for them.

Stine likes being with us,
just as your mother did.

So will Stine be flying
over the rainbow soon, too?

Bye.

Cool.

Where did you get it?

My father gave it to me.

Got the guts to play with us?

Don't feel like it.

Come on, join in.

No, I don't want to.
- You don't want to?

Yes, you do. You'll come with me!

Got that?

Just come along!

You caught anything?

I didn't catch a thing.

I think
the wind is in the wrong direction.

But good luck, anyway.

What?
- Cold.

He said after all that happened he wasn't
sure he wanted a relationship with me.

He said he wasn't sure
he wants to be a father.

It's a little late for that, isn't it?

But that's no way to behave!

No, it isn't.

No, it really isn't.

He's an arsehole.

Oh, thank you.

He'll get punched
on the "snout" for that.

On the "snout"?

Here, on his “snout"!

You're the only person in the world
who believes in justice.

I can't sit around here crying.
I'm your boss!

How are things with you?

Fine, yes.

That's good.

How long have you been here now?

Almost nine months.

No more?

I've got the feeling
I've known you all my life.

Let's go and sing, okay?

Yes, okay.

Are you on duty this Sunday?

Unfortunately.

Do you take all the bad shifts?

Someone has to do them.

And you're on night shift next week?

It was always planned that way.

Didn't you catch any fish today?
- He behaved like a child.

How?
- He was bored.

We're in this magnificent scenery
and my son plays blind and deaf.

I've got homework to do.

I hope you enjoyed your meal!

God.

We need new sheep feed.
There's not a blade of grass left.

The sheep are your responsibility.

Yes, I know.

Don't you have Norwegian class today?

I'm not going anymore.

Why not?

I know all I need.

No one ever hears you speak it.

You leave that to me, my darling.

What's wrong?

What?

You're staring at me.

I'm fed up with this darkness.

It'll get light soon.

January 20th

Martine slipped and broke her leg.

What?
- I don't have anyone to take her shift.

A double shift?

I don't have anyone else,
and I have to go to pregnancy class.

It's Friday! I've got a family
and I'm already working on Sunday.

I know, I'm sorry.

Do you want me to go on my knees?
- No, I can't.

You'll do it?

Thanks.

It's alright.

Don't take it.

It's Maria.

It's me.
I have to work the night shift tonight.

I see.

Did you pick up the dry cleaning?
- Tomorrow.

I'll do it tomorrow.

Listen I'll see you later, okay?

I'm in the middle of work.

Okay, bye-

You are a swine.

You really are a "Schweinehund".

Seriously.

Are the two of you still having sex?

Are you having sex with her?

She's my wife.
- Yes, she's your wife.

So you fuck her a lot.

Why aren't you asleep, Stine?

It's late.

Are the batteries worn out again?

I'll get you some new ones.

And tomorrow I'll finally go out
and buy you a power adaptor.

Maria?

What are you doing?

I'm just sitting here, Niels.

What's wrong?

I don't know what happened.

Where were you?

At work, where else?

So what happened?

I'm afraid I hit something with the car.

Let's go to bed.
- Niels, I hit something with the car!

You hit something?

Yes.

I hit something in the dark.

What do you mean?

I hit something with the car.
A dog or I don't know what.

But definitely something.
- A dog'?

Yes.

I even stopped, but

I just got so scared.

Scared? - Yes, scared.
Don't you know what scared is?

Maybe there's a dog lying there now.

Adgg

Maria, that's not the end of the world.

I just drove on.

Well, that's okay.

I just drove on, I don't understand.

Could you get rid of the glass?

Yes, I'll do it.

I need something to go to sleep.

God, maybe there's a dog lying there.

Or a person?

What?

What did you say?

Surely you must know if you

Where did it happen?

Somewhere

behind the hill where you can see the sea
for the first time coming from town.

There was nothing there. Nothing.

I drove the whole way very slowly.

On the hill I got out
and walked down the street.

There was nothing there.

Nothing.

Nothing.

Of course there's nothing.

It probably really was a dog.

These things happen.
I'll make us some bacon and eggs.

I dreamt something awful.

I can't remember what exactly
but it was awful.

Something about dolls.

I'll make us some bacon and eggs.
- I dreamt something awful.

Yes, great!

Two fish aren't bad, right?

We're home!

Maria?

Why don't you answer?

Why are you crying?

There's something in the news

What?

Oh, God!

A girl has died.
They only found her this morning.

Sixteen years old.

You must always stop the car, Niels!

Oh, God!

Why didn't you see her

when you drove past?

I don't know. There was nothing there.

She was there!

You just didn't see her.

Could you please explain that to me?

How stupid can you be to drive past
a girl that's just been hit by a car?

I just don't understand

how you can drive past a place
where a girl's just been hit by a car!

Niels!

Oh, God!

Pizza again?

Your mum's ill.

What's wrong with her?

She's ill.

She's just ill, Markus.

You know?

Did you hide the newspaper?

Yes.

What does it say?

It's a sixteen-year-old girl.

She was on her way home from a party.
She was probably drunk.

She managed to crawl off the road.
- Off the road, how?

Then she fell into some snow ditch.

So she wasn't dead at all?

Oh, God.

Where did you get those cigarettes?

From the drawer.

Now what?

Now we'll go to the police.
- And?

And tell them what's happened.

I hit her, then I drove on,
and she wasn't even dead.

This isn't me, Niels.

I'm not this person.
- I know. - I was in shock!

I know, Maria.

They don't know who hit her.
There are no witnesses.

If I turn myself in, I'll always be
the woman who left the girl to die.

You'll be the husband
of the woman who left the girl to die.

And Markus will be the son
of the woman who left the girl to die.

They will punish me.

Prison, probably.

You'd have to leave here.

I'm not this person, Niels.

You don't know what you're saying.

Niels, I'm saying that

I've made such a dreadful mistake.

And I can't make it undone.

I've made such a terrible mistake.

But I'm going to have to live with it
for the rest of my life.

There's something
you have to tell me now, Niels.

You have to tell me,
"Yes, Maria," or "No, Maria."

Yes, Maria.

There's been
a terrible accident last weekend.

Petter's sister Mette from the
ninth class was hit by a car and died.

So when Petter comes back,
let's show a little consideration, okay?

Would you like a coke?

No.

Are you two friends now?

He keeps staring at me all the time.

That's disgusting.

Better not turn your arse on him!

My dad's got loads of guns.
We always go hunting during the summer.

And he lets you have them?

No, the drawer is always locked.

But the keys are inside his old wellies

that he hasn't worn in years.

Look, that one's big enough.
You can hit it.

Why shoot a stupid dog anyway?

Let's go to my place
and play a game on my PlayStation.

You know Mette
who was killed in the accident?

I snogged her.

Really?

Last year during the Midsummer Night
Party. She was really cute.

The guy who ran her over
should be gutted!

The police are looking for witnesses.

No one's seen anything.

You do realize
we can't ever tell anyone about it?

Niels?

Only you and I know about it.

Only you and I must ever know about it.
- What's going on?

Nothing.

Nothing, Markus. Nothing's going on.
- But there's something wrong here.

Everything's alright.

You can't tell, can you?
- No.

It's like new again.

You can't tell at all.

It's the dead girl's father.
- What?

I know him from the choir.

It's Mette and Petter's father, Bjérn.
- Niels Gaimann?

I have food for your animals.

Where do you want it?

In the barn.

Hello, Bjérn!

Here's the bill.

I get the money.

Fifteen kroner per kilo.

But the leaflet said
five kroner per kilo.

I've got it inside.
Shall I go and get it?

But the leaflet did say five kroner.

That's okay. I'm sure.

Thanks.

Bye.

Why did you do that?

You do know he cheated you?

I won't haggle about a few kroner
with a man in his situation.

What's the one got to do with the other?

You're right.

It's all a little too much right now.

Let's go inside. It's cold.

I really don't know
how this is going to work out.

I won't do any more night shifts
than I have to.

I'll do my shifts and that's enough.

I can feel her.

She's got a strong kick on her.

How wonderful.

Stine is up and about?

Yes, we've been practising
for our concert together.

What concert?

It's a secret.

We're taking the heli out tomorrow.

A fisherman has seen oil
on the surface close to the borewell.

Shit.

Are we still having an affair?

Are we?

Sure.

'Cause if we do I think
we should fuck once in a while.

Not today.

Not today

When then?

Tomorrow.

Deal.

You'll come home to my place tomorrow
and we'll fuck.

Markus!

Your dad's here and he wants to go
ice fishing. - I can't. I have a cold.

Markus has a cold.
- I'll go by myself, okay?

I'm really hurting inside.

They must suffer so badly!

Just imagine it was Markus.

Don't say that.
- But this is about him, too.

I would do everything for him.

He mustn't ever find out.

Just think what it would do to him,
if he found out.

I know suffering.

I'm surrounded by suffering every day.

And I know there's no escaping it.

I'm not crazy.

No one ever said you were.

They will learn to live with it.

As I will.

We will learn.

We'll have to.

Can we talk private?

Yes.

You've been avoiding me lately.

It's got nothing to do with you.

Right.

Maria ran over a girl.

She came home crying.

Saying she had hit something on the road
but didn't know what.

She didn't stop.

She just kept driving.
Home.

Little Mette?

Yes.

She won't report it
and I told her that's okay.

I can't get it out of my head.

It's got nothing to do with you.

We didn't report anything.

We just went on like before.

Pretending nothing happened.

And I think

we will get away with it.

Now this is

the first time
you really told me anything.

It's the first time you told me
anything that matters.

Thank you.

Once I had a lover in Berlin

Said a frail old woman
From a table next to mine

His voice was like an ancient violin

And he spoke to me
That voice that voice!

I believe they call it falling for a man

But this falling made me fly
Left me soaring for the sky

There wasn't any sense
There was no plan

But who would trade this passion

For the safety of dry land?

Not I
Not he

And we knew we had to travel far away

We knew we had to disappear
Where no one else could find us

A sailing ship
Would take us from the bay

Its sails would fill
With an offshore wind to blind us

We gambled our security
The future for the now

Sailed off toward the stoma
Safety cast aside

We'd gone beyond
What reason would allow

But who could tame the tidal wave
And tell it where to go?

Not I
Not you

Reality then brought it to an end

Said the frail old woman
Trembling underneath her hat

A decent set of values is no friend

It's reason now that blinds us
Please believe!

And passion
is not willing to be steered.

Purity alone
Won't fill a ship's wide sails

Life will sometimes bring
What we most feared

And who could ever say
When to go or when to stay?

He called. He wants to come back.

I know you told me to be strong,
and that he doesn't deserve me.

Did I?

Are you having an affair?

Are you sure?

What makes you think so?
- Because you're acting strange.

Didn't you tell me
he'd get his deserved punishment?

So am I to take him back now, or what?

That's up to you.

How would I know what you should do?

And who should be punished?

Him, for leaving you

or you for letting him go?

Is it my fault he left me?

I just don't know
what the right thing to do is.

And what's up with you and Niels?

I'd never have thought
he'd be coming along today.

Well, people change.

See you tomorrow.

Bye.

I had a phone call from Ole's father.

Ole doesn't want to be
in this class anymore.

Someone spat into his backpack.

Do the culprits want to come forward?

Just as I thought.

In that case
we have just lost a great classmate.

Get your English books out.

Come here.

It's so thick!

They're almost due.

Are you two drunk or something?

Not completely.

What are you looking at?

I'm ready for a serious relationship.

I want a man
who tells me things that matter to him.

I want to tell him things
that matter to me.

I want to have children.

I can't.

I can't explain it.

I'm with Maria now, I'm really with her.

Okay, let's start again.

I am telling you that I love you.

I want more of what I got
on the helicopter.

I'm back with Maria.

I want everything,
I want it all, I'm a greedy girl.

I can't explain it any better.

We are back together.

I'm sorry Linda. Something happened
between me and Maria.

I don't know what it is.

What the hell are you saying?

You've been fucking me for over 6 months
and suddenly you say it's just nothing?

I'm just nothing?

All you have to say for yourself is
- It's not like that.

Do I look like some doll or a thing

that you can just put you dick into
whenever you want to?

It's not like that.
- No? What's it like then?

So much happened.
- Yes,

I have been fucked.

That seems to be all
that happened here, right?

If you say my name one more time
I'll kick your face in.

I've met someone.

Who?

He's younger than I am,
looks great and he flirts with me.

Is it nice?

I need it.

I know.

I know, Wenche.

Hi, this is Linda, leave a message.

You're home early.

Yes, but I'll have to go back tonight.

Want some cake?

Yes?

Hey, it's me.

Just a moment.

Niels, I'm sorry.

Wait a sec.

What?

I'm sorry I was mad
and I'm sorry about your car. I did that.

I'm at home, I can't talk now.

I'll pay to get it fixed.

I'm hanging up. - Tell you wife
that some kids did it or something.

I'm hanging up now.

I'll be at work tomorrow,
so we can talk about everything

I'm upstairs, could you get it?
- Yes.

You don't hang up
when I'm talking to you, okay?

Don't call me! - Niels, I'm warning you,
don't treat me like some stupid cunt

I've been seeing someone else.

For a long time. I've been seeing
someone else for almost six months.

It started shortly after we got here.

But I

I've ended it.

You were seeing
someone else in Kiel, too.

Yes.

I suspected it.

She wants to take revenge.

She scratched my car.
And she's bound to call again.

Don't worry.

You're not going to say anything?

Yes, I am.

I love you.

Come on.

Come here.

I'm a good person, Niels.

I help people die in dignity.

People give me flowers
because they're grateful I'm there.

I do a good deed every day.

I'm a good wife.

I'm a good mother.

I love you.

I love you, Maria.

I love you, I love you

I've missed you.

I've missed you, too.

I've missed you so much.

Got any meat left?

Yes.

Where's Markus?

He just went out fishing.

Markus!

Niels!

March 9th

I'm sorry.

I'm sorry

I'm not right in the head.

You never promised me more then sex

so I have no reason
to be pissed at all.

I am going back to Oslo.

I fixed a colleague to take over for me.

It's an old hag, so

There are limits, "Schweinehund".

I wish you all the best.

You, too.

There's no answer anywhere.

I left a message at both numbers.

You're not alone, Stine.

There's no need to be afraid.

Thank you so much.

So many people lay down flowers.

We put down some flowers here
the day after it happened.

Such a tiny bunch on this street.

Then more flowers were laid down.
And candles, too.

Letters ...

Mostly from people we know,
but from others, too.

Strangers we've never met before.

Are you Niels?

Maria's husband?

Thank you.

No no thank you.

It was a great help to us
that even strangers

showed their compassion.

It really helped us.

I always saw the world as a cold place
where everyone thinks of themselves.

But there's true compassion
in this world.

There really is.

There is true

honest compassion in the world.

It was me who spat into your backpack.

I was one of them.

I want to apologise.

You're a bunch of arseholes.

I don't want to listen to your crap.

You think you can spit
into someone's backpack

and then just say you're sorry?

I don't know what else I can do.

I don't give a shit about your apology.

Would you like some coffee?

Yes, please.

Is Bjbrn in, too?

Bj6rn's asleep.

He's on night shift, you know?

Do you want me to wake him up?

Yes, please.

Have a seat.

He's coming.

Lovely day, today.

Yes, very nice.

It's so beautiful when the sun returns.

I drove home after work.

I work at the hospital.

I look after the terminally ill.

It happened
on a dark stretch of the road.

I took my eyes off the road
only for a short moment because

there was a northern light.

Then I suddenly felt a bang.

The car started skidding

I looked into the rear-view mirror,

but I couldn't see anything.

First I thought it was a dog

That I'd hit a dog or some other animal.

So I

I drove on.

Home.

I was so scared. I panicked.

I was so afraid
I might have ran over someone.

I drove the whole way back.

But there was nothing. Nothing at all.

If I'd looked a little harder,

I might have found her.

Or I could've

taken her to hospital.

The next day I read in the paper
what had happened.

What I had done.

Inn-

I ran over your daughter.

So now what?

Now you come here to

What did you think would happen now?

What are we supposed to do now?

What do you think

would happen now?

I don't know.

We wanted you to know

what had happened.

And who killed her,

your daughter.

That's all.

That's all?

So what do you expect from us?

Do you want us to thank you?

Yes, thanks a lot for the information.

I don't know what you expect from us.
That we scream?

Shout? Beat you up?

Do you want us to go to the police?

Did she scream?

I didn't hear or see anything.

June 23th
MIDSUMMER NIGHT

Untertitel: Elke Seiler

Film und Video Untertitelung GmbH