"A film by Kay Pollak" "As it is in Heaven." "My dear, sweet, Daniel..." "You never have to be afraid of those boys, ever again." "We won't go on living here." "I'll find you another school." "Pappa would have supported me in this, if he had been alive." "Everything is for the best." "Just believe that, and all will be fine." "When I grow up I'm going to marry you, mommy." "Ever since I was a little boy I had a dream to create music that would open people's hearts." "That was my dream." "At 14, I was to compete at the Junior Soloist World Championships." "A day I will always remember." "Please!" "Make way, please!" "One thing was new..." "For the first time in my life my calendar was completely empty." "The doctor said it was a heart attack." "It wasn't fatal, but he didn't give me much hope." "He said:" ""Your heart's completely worn out."" "Jump, Daniel!" "Jump!" "I don't know why I returned to the village of my childhood." "Sometimes you do things without knowing why." "I reckoned that no one in the village would know that I'd once lived here." "My agent had given me a new name when I was 15." "ELEMENTARY SCHOOL" ""Remember to let the tap run before drinking."" ""The water comes from our own well."" "I heard... you'd bought the old school here." "I thought I'd drop by." "I'm Stig Berggren, the village Pastor." "I wanted to be the first to welcome you." "It's my little custom to give each newcomer a Bible." "In the name of Jesus Christ." "Thank you." "I arrived 25 years ago and we ended up staying, my wife and I." "Just think, Daniel Daréus here in our old school." "But one can only wonder, what will you do here?" " I shall listen." " I see..." "My wife Inger and I wonder if you'd care to come to our home for dinner." "Thank you, but I prefer to be alone." "Perhaps he could hold a concert here in the village." "I've stopped performing!" "Though the church is really very beautiful." "There's Conny from the garage with my gun." "I saw your car, and thought..." "Here's your gun." "I've checked it out, it works fine now." " I welded the barrel." " Thank you so much." "Was that you in the taxi?" "That was me who skidded past in the truck." "It's a she..." "Bulls-eye, right up her ass." " My Christmas hare for the church." " Thank you!" "He's a conductor." "World famous." "Daniel Daréus." "One of those artist types, huh?" " Has Olga laughed today?" " What?" "Isn't your hearing aid on?" " Has Olga laughed today?" " What have you got today, Lena?" "This Norwegian and a Swede are watching a funeral procession." "The Swede asks:" ""Who's the dead one?"" ""Don't know", says the Norwegian, "but I think that's him in the coffin."" " I'll put down the 65 crowns." " Fine." "Bye." "Are you the one who bought the old school?" "Yes." "I knew you'd come in here." "Everyone has to eat." "Would you listen to this?" "See if it's good enough." "Want a Bingo lottery ticket?" "Everyone plays "bingolotto" around here." "We had a winner once." "This is for you." "Sure, we can handle just about anything." "See ya!" "He wanted a bottle of Jamaican, only thing that turns his girl on." "Check it out. 24 speeds." "Only 5,800 crowns." "A lot of bike for your buck." "Nothing wrong with buying a bike in the winter." "Don't let that..." " Eeh... nothing with fewer gears?" " C'mon, don't be cheap with yourself." "People around here can be a bit narrow minded." "I've always driven Yank cars." "I love the purr of an old V8, the smooth ride." "Folks get pretty bent out of shape over those wheels." "But you can't let it get to you." "Come spring thaw, out for a drive!" " 5,200, huh?" " Well?" "Listen, I'd like to show you something you could really help me out with." "Now this is very dear to me." "We've got a choir in the village  that meets every Thursday in the congregation hall." "We do a spring concert and you're just the man to come and..." " No, no, I'm too impatient." " Just to brush us up a little." "Offer some good advice." "You aren't cheap in that way?" " 4,600." " I just came here to listen..." "Great!" "Come on Thursday, to listen." "Just to listen." "4,200 and a sweatsuit thrown in." "See you on Thursday." "Prepare!" "The Lord is coming Hills, sink!" "And valleys, rise!" " But I'm the one who runs this choir!" " Siv, he's only coming to listen." " What's his name?" " Daniel Daréus." "Typical Arne, giving out orders." "I'm in charge of the choir." "He's only going to listen." "We're rehearsing any way." "You're only in charge, Siv because we don't have a cantor." " Does Stig know about this?" " The Pastor has nothing to do with it!" " It's all Arne's delusions of grandeur!" " What's the problem?" "He's just going to listen and give a little advice." " Musicians aren't cheap in that way..." " Arne, simmer down." "Well, if he's coming, of course we should sing!" "I'm not going to sing, neither is Olga." "Olga's old enough to make her own decisions." "Siv, come on." "You need a fella." "Maybe he's something for you." "As far as I know, he's single." "Oh, stop it!" "No, don't worry." "I'll be there when you get home." "Yes, dinner's ready." "But you said I could go." "I'll be home when you get there." "Welcome." "I'm Gabriella." "Come on in." "Glories stream from heaven afar" "Heavenly host sing Alleluia" "Christ the savior is born" "I was passing by and heard singing." "Much of it is very nice." " We are not pros." " But we could be much better." " Well, within our limitations." " I dreamt he would come." "I just wanted..." "I was passing by and..." "Thank you so much." " He said "much of it is very nice"." " Did he say "much of it"?" " Those very words?" " Yes! "Much of it is very nice."" "Did you hear that, Olga?" ""Much of it is very nice", he said." "Hello!" "Have you listened to the cassette?" "It's me, Lena..." "The Bingo lottery ticket." "Carry on." "I'll be right there." "Over there." "But your ticket didn't win." "I've checked." "This is my boyfriend." " Hi." " Hello." "You've got to listen to it." "Bye." "See you." "You need warmer clothes, Daniel." "No you fucking don't." "I told you!" "You're not going anywhere!" "Fucking slut!" "Stop it, stop it!" "For God's sake, stop it!" "Well, if it isn't the little artist." "Get your hands off her!" "Your kind don't belong here!" " I'm warning you!" " No, Conny!" "Let go!" "Mind your own business!" "Conny." "It's him." "I confess, oh righteous God  that I have sinned in thought, word and deed." "I have not loved Thee above all else nor my neighbor as myself." "Through my sins I am guilty of more than I understand  and contribute to the world's negligence of Thee." "I beseech Thee, help me cease my sins." "Forgive me, in the name of Jesus Christ." "Amen." "This is a surprise." "A simple position as cantor." "Mass, weddings, christenings, funerals." "Is it worth it?" "Music is all I know." "But the church is cold and the salary meager." "The pay is dreadful." "Take my advice, don't do it." " My mind's made up." " A new cantor." "How nice." "Welcome!" "This is my wife, Inger." "It's up to the church council, so it'll take a while." "I'd like to begin immediately." "Do you realize the job entails running the choir?" "But they can't possibly meet your demands." "Everything begins with listening." " When do you finish?" " I'll call you later." "Imagine that all music already exists." "It's up here, all around, vibrating, ready to be taken down." "It's all a matter of listening, of being ready to take it down." "You understand?" " Get it, Fatso?" " Yes." "Each person has their own unique tone, their own individual tone." "And we're going to find it." "Arne here." "Yes." "Yes... yes." "Don't you want that with a built-in DVD, yeah..." "It's got PAL, NTSC and..." "No, no!" "Just human voices." "Yes." "Some advice, please, on what to do." "How should I begin?" "Right..." "Balance." "Yes." "Balance..." "Yes, exactly." "The torso." "And the stomach." "Right." "We know where our stomachs are." "Let's massage them to wake them up." "And pat them and massage them." "Good!" "Put your hands here..." "And twist, backwards, then forwards." "Push away making a large circle." "Good." "Your fingers..." "Then shake them out." "Excellent!" "Listen, and give it back." "Let's hope no one walks in on us." "Is the door locked?" "Each person has his own individual tone." "Try and find yours." "Begin, slowly... to sound..." "Find the harmony." "I started to think of the Pastor." "Music is about listening." "You're so eager, Arne!" "The singing will come, later." "He's worked with the great vocalists." "And we have fun, too." "I haven't felt so happy in a very long time!" "Of course you must come, you must." "See you on Thursday as usual." "Bye." " Don't you sing?" " No, not yet." "Later, says Daniel." " Why must you defend him?" " I'm not defending him." "I enjoy doing something new." "It's good he takes things gently." " Don't deny you were defending him." " He's trying to get to know us." "All hold hands." "Now we'll find the source." "The core." "Let me be clear." "Either you participate, or you leave, please." " I'm just here to listen." " Lf you sit here it affects me." "I'm doing something here that's entirely new to me." " And what, may I ask, are you doing?" " New faces, new sounds..." "Okay, Maestro." "There's a great difference between people here and in the big wide world." "One must observe certain limits." "As cantor many eyes are upon you." " What a grump!" " I'm glad it's just us now." "Where were we?" "Arms out." "We are going to the source..." "Excuse me." "Hello?" "Yes." "Hi there!" "No, I don't do renovations." "Is it a Cadillac?" "I know a guy." "He's really good." "He sold one for 700,000 to a Norwegian last week." "I'll call you in an hour or so." "Okay?" "Bye." "Yep... we were going to the source, right?" " Coffee break." "Come along." " Coffee?" "Now?" "Haven't you understood a single thing?" "This is about us!" "About who we are!" "About our lives!" "All music comes from within!" "Concentration!" "Without concentration, nothing can emerge!" "Nothing!" "Here." "Have some water." "Daniel, you know... this is all so new to us." "We aren't used to..." "Coffee's important, too." "I knew it." "Hell, I knew it." "Here we go!" "Gabriella..." "Lena." "Olga." "Amanda." "Arne." " In on one, see?" " Now find your unique voice vibrating inside you." "Find your tone." "I'll take care of this." "Tore..." "Hello, Tore." "Arne, take it easy." "It's only Tore." " Give him a cookie." " Tore, we're not locking up yet." " Sit over here, Tore." "Tore, here!" " Cookie?" "I wan... join in." " Tore, be a good boy now." " Here's a bun, with sugar on top." " He says he wants to join." " Well, you see, he can't read or write." " He's cuckoo." " I want to join!" "It'll just cause problems." "I know." "We must have some criterion." "I think Tore should join us." "Isn't he your cousin, Arne?" "For Christ's sake!" "I've got plans for this choir!" "Don't you see?" "I'm working very hard for us!" "At the spring concert, is Tore to be up there  next to fatso Holmfrid?" " Smoking outside, Arne." " Oh for God's sake!" "We can't just let everything slide!" "All this newfangled..." "Arne, wait!" "Arne is so dedicated." "Great!" "An A. Erik." "Gabriella." "Now we've got two basses!" "It pisses me off! "Isn't he your cousin" and "smoking outside"." "Calm down Arne." "Are we running some kind of kindergarten?" "Hiya." "Hang on!" "Could I come an hour earlier next time?" "I'd like you to help me." "So I can find my tone." " Just you and I?" " Yes." "I've got to run." "It's my new boyfriend." "See you!" "An hour earlier." "Bye-bye!" "Stig, I've been wondering about your voice." "Why do you sound so ceremonious doing weddings?" "'Will you take this...?" "'" " Marriage involves a major decision." " But it can make people nervous." ""Will you take..." People might get second thoughts, Stig." "You do use different voices in church." "At christenings it's one voice." "At funerals, a different one." " 'Dust to dust; ashes to ashes.'" " Are you making fun of me?" " Stig, will you take this woman?" " That'll do now." "I'm being serious, Stig." "Will you take this woman?" "Can I see your shoes?" "You'll have to change shoes, or get them reheeled, for the right balance." "Straighten your back." "Walk up and down a bit, and sing." "Take off your sweater." "We'll find your balance." "I know it's there." "It just needs to be set free." "Open your throat, open your chest." "Release your sound." "I want to..." " Is there something stopping you?" " It scares me." "It's all so much, I'm not sure I dare." "I'd like to tell you about something." "Once, during a concert there was a power failure." "Everything went black." "But the musicians continued to play." "They couldn't see their music, nor me." "I leave it all up to the orchestra." "They all listen to each other." "No one sees me." "That's when I experienced it for the first time. 58 seconds." "All minds were joined." "58 seconds..." "That's a pretty long time." "Prague '82." "I was 19." " So you mean that...?" " It's all there." "This is the great secret." "When everyone knows that..." "That's when we can take down the music." "I ask myself, what is he after?" "Something's happening to people there." "We haven't rehearsed anything, not once." " Not even for the services?" " Nothing at all." "He's up to something." "I'm sure of it." "What do you mean, Siv?" "It feels like he's using us for his own purposes." "I'd like you to keep attending, please." "Hurrah!" "Listen everybody, listen!" "Daniel has said yes!" "He can judge if we're ready." "'Are we really going to charge?" "' Someone asked." "Of course we are!" "The village hall costs, all venues cost." "So a concert should cost." "I thought:" "Tickets, 100 crowns each." "It increases the product value." "Six weeks to go, to the concert." "The only valid excuse for absence is your own funeral." "Great, Arne!" "I'm finished." "Now let's rehearse." "'Glorious is all on earth.' Harmony." "Glorious is all on earth" "There you are!" "You came here even though..." "I told you to stay at home!" "Don't think I don't know!" "Wait, wait..." "Careful now, for Christ's sake!" " He's drunk." "That's why he comes." " He's dragged her away a few times." "But he beats her!" "And everyone knows it." "I've tried talking to her so many times." "It's like talking to a wall." " Why doesn't she leave him?" " He could do anything to her." "She doesn't dare, she's terrified." "Look at Tore there." "Now we're in the shit." "God, it stinks!" " What did I tell you!" " Shut up, Arne." " Arne does have a point, Lena." " God damn it Siv!" "Are you starting?" "!" "Haven't you ever shit your pants?" "I'm beginning to wonder!" "Come along, Tore." "Say my name, Lena." " Tore." " Say the other thing, too." " What is it you want me to say?" " The three words." " The three words?" " Yes, say the three words." "I love you, Tore." " Hello!" " Hello." "What are you doing?" "Nothing special." "Going for a bike ride?" "Yup..." "Shall we ride together?" "Lena, I don't know how." "You can't learn to ride a bike on your own." "Someone's got to hold on." "Don't pedal yet, I'll push." "Just try and keep your balance." " This is interesting." " Interesting?" "Yes." "You're the one always talking about balance." " Right." "Climb on." " Now, hold on." " Are you holding on?" " Yes." " You're holding on?" "You've got to." " Yes!" "I am holding on." "I am!" "Eyes ahead..." "Don't look back!" "You weren't holding on!" "You weren't holding on." "Six meters, Daniel." "Not bad for first time." "There's no harmony." "Sit down." "Is there anyone here who needs to get something off their chest?" " I've something I'd like to bring up." " Oh for God's sake." " But we're going to have a party." " Go on, Siv." "I've always thought that Lena has a way, that's not good for this choir." " And it concerns all of us." " Lena?" "!" " "A way that's not good for the choir?"" " Arne, Daniel's asked us to be open." "So I really want to be honest." "Don't we have a responsibility to each other here in the choir?" "Lena and I sing the same part, and we're to harmonize, aren't we?" "Are we to just stand by and ignore the kind of life she leads?" "Why doesn't anyone ever object?" " Damn it!" "Pull yourself together, Siv!" " Arne..." "It's not the Christian faith to party on Saturday night and then..." "You know what I mean..." "Then to stand in church and sing on Sunday morning." "Inger, is this any type of example for the young girls in the congregation?" "Seeing Lena hop in and out of all these different cars." "In and out of different cars?" "It happens right in front of our eyes." "You know as well as I do." "The young girls might think it has something to do with love." "That that's the way for a woman to behave." " There, I've said what I have to say." " Right." "Admit it, Siv you're just jealous of Lena." "You ought to be ashamed, laughing at someone who dares be honest!" "Try being honest yourself!" "Tore's pacing." "Where's the corkscrew?" "I'll go out and get Siv." "Party time!" "FLORENCE, FLORENCE, FLORENCE!" "Lips are silent" "Eyes are speaking" "Love me, do" "Violins and bows play waltzes" "Love me, do" "This one's for you, Arne!" "Sin in the congregation hall, Stig." "Go-go girls - like Sodom and Gomorrah." " I know it all!" " You know it all?" " Yes!" " Nothing's happened." "You expose your breasts in the congregation hall and this is nothing?" "I was a bit tipsy, dancing..." " Sin has descended..." " Stop it!" "Inger, you have sinned!" "On church premises!" "Now I'm going to say something I've wanted to say for a long time." "Something that's plagued me for 20 years." "There is no sin." "All this damn talk about sin!" "It only exists in your head." " What!" " There is no sin." ""There is no sin?" Think of what you're saying!" "I have thought." "The church invented sin." "Handing out guilt with one hand then offering redemption with the other." "It's all a lie, hot air, to suppress people, to gain power." "Silence!" "Ask for God's forgiveness!" "God doesn't forgive, don't you get that!" "Because he's never condemned." " Silence!" " Try to be humble, Stig." "I am humble!" "You think I didn't know about it?" "For years I've known you've had your pictures here." "You've come out here before we've made love..." "To have a look..." "Black stockings, high boots, bottoms..." "To get stimulated." "It's all right, Stig." "But don't condemn others." "Inger, God hears you." "He hears and he smiles, you can bet on it." "The church has made a sin of sexuality." "God hasn't." "You've had a need, you haven't hurt anyone by it." "There have been a few times in bed we've enjoyed..." "Even if we've never reached Heaven together, not yet." "Stop it..." "Stig." "I love you." "I always have." "I've kept everything inside." "But not anymore." "I've kept my mouth shut, repressed everything I've felt and seen, and heard and thought." "Come..." "Come, Stig..." "Jesus Christ, forgive me my sins..." "Inger, what happened last night between us..." " I've longed for, for so long." " Inger..." "It never happened." " What?" " It never happened..." "I repeat:" "What happened between us last night never happened." "The kindly green leaves of spring have adorned the meadows and valleys"