Original subtitles

A NETFLIX SERIES

[crowd chanting] Literature murderers!

Literature murderers!

Literature murderers!

[woman 1] Everybody!

Let's observe a minute's silence to honor the dying literature.

[door rattles loudly]

[knocks on door]

[woman 2] Hey!

You can't just ignore us!

Behind every book, there's a human being.

What do you want? We're trying to keep a business alive.

We want to be heard.

We want to be respected.

I've been working on my poems for five years and never turned a profit.

And now I'm supposed to pay for it?

And if no one buys them? What are we supposed to do about that?

That's hardly my fault.

- Literature... - ...murderers!

MURDER OF OUR WORDS

[crowd chanting] Literature murderers!

- Literature murderers! - [Dad] Literature murderers!

Literature murderers!

STOP BUYING AND SELLING

Literature murderers!

THE END OF LITERATURE IS NEAR

TRAITORS CAPITALIST PIGS

- Literature murderers! - We're a business!

Do you even know what that is?

- A business! - Literature murderers!

Literature murderers!

[rock music plays]

[crowd chanting] Free authors! Independent words!

[Friedrich] That's Rigmor.

- Rigmor Fagervik. - Yeah, that's right.

- [Friedrich] Ulla Simonsson. - And that's Penny Bäckström.

- It's basically the whole B-Team. - I knew it would come to this.

Jägerstedt Publishing can't be associated with this.

What?

- Hi. - Thank God you're here.

We need a plan of action.

- A plan of action? - Yes.

For Christ's sake, it's just 20 old ladies down there yelling.

We'll just ignore them. Eventually they'll get tired and go home.

Don't forget...

that we have an important meeting

with one of the country's biggest influencers.

They might want to publish with us. Yes!

Fuck!

- I think Ulla saw me. - [Denise] Get down!

- [Friedrich] Shit! - Oh, no. Don't get back up!

[crowd chanting] Free authors!

[chanting continues faintly]

[laughter]

[crowd chanting] Independent words! Free authors!

Independent words! Free authors!

- Do you have a lot to do today? - No... Or I don't think so. Why?

I though we could have...

sex at work.

- Okay... - We're both consenting adults.

I've got all the keys to the broom closet.

We can say that we're going to lunch.

Wow, you really have a... plan.

[Caroline giggles]

- Can I come in? - Yes, of course.

I saw this exciting TED Talk yesterday

about using the power of social media to create class-inclusive business models.

So I've joined Instagram, and I've started following Caroline.

Wow, exciting.

Yes, very.

And she's posted a few pictures of Max.

He's been a huge success!

People love his posts about growing stuff. He already has a lot of fans.

I thought, "Wouldn't it be a good idea if we published a photo book of him?"

He's very popular, especially among young women.

I think that sounds like a terrible idea.

Oh... [laughs awkwardly]

Hmm.

- I thought it was in line with our... - Right. No, it isn't.

Instead, I suggest focusing on today's recruitment meeting

with one of Sweden's biggest influencers,

who could save us financially.

As I wrote in my e-mail yesterday evening and mentioned this morning.

We don't need to start photographing our employees.

Yeah, well... Alright then.

- Hmm. It's settled then. - [Ronny laughs]

[Sofie] Start by reading the e-mails.

You can tackle social media once you've learned that.

Absolutely... That's...

[Ronny laughs]

[Sofie clears throat]

[door closes]

[animated conversations]

YOU'RE LETTING US DOWN

[woman 2] Strikebreaker!

- No, I'm not. - Strikebreaker!

Murder of our words!

[crowd chanting] Strikebreaker!

Someone shouted, "murder of our words".

What's this all about?

Don't worry about that. It doesn't concern Jägerstedt Publishing.

Today, we're going to focus on your masterpiece...

in peace.

First, I want to talk about the amazing passage where...

Yeah, it might be best if we wait for my... agent.

Agent?

- You have an agent? - Yeah.

I think he'll be here soon, so...

[elevator dings]

[author] Hi.

What a commotion.

- [Friedrich] Yeah... - What...?

- It's nothing. Friedrich. - Linus. Pleased to meet you.

Yeah, I recognize you.

- We must have met, but I don't know where. - No, I don't think so.

- So you've met before? - No.

Okay, shall we...?

Yeah.

Yes. Right, this way.

So, on page 31...

That's where the story really gets going.

So it would be good if the main character had a little more drive.

- What do you mean? - It's important that the main plot...

You mean the narrative.

The book's central character needs to have a strong will, so...

Excuse me, but who walks around with a "will"?

Humans are much more complex than that.

- Hi. - What? Hi.

- What are you doing? - I'm working. What are you doing?

- Here are the documents for you to sign. - Thanks. Good.

- So, one o'clock. - Yeah.

- Are you going on a lunch date? - Kind of.

I hope you have a really nice time.

Hmm.

Just a second.

DON'T LEAVE YOUR CHAIR

Seriously?

[mischievous music plays]

Nellie and I have already talked about how fun it would be

if the book could be made into a TV show.

I think a more open ending could set the stage for more seasons.

Not a single line should be cut from the book.

Nellie, your book is astounding.

I mean, it's more than that. I think it could change people's lives.

And that's why... I think we should make it accessible.

- Accessible? - Mm.

This book is for people who can handle it, for people who deserve it.

It's Mount Everest. It's... Santiago de Compostela.

Sorry, we're doing all the talking. What do you think?

Well, it's hard.

I'm a socialist.

But at the same time,

I really need money for an apartment in Bagarmossen.

There's nothing wrong with wanting to live off of your art.

I mean, look at Ferrante.

If Ferrante had made commercial edits, she wouldn't have been such a success!

Nellie... You want people to read your book, right?

- Yes. - Mm.

Not for it to end up down the back of some shelf in some old, dusty library.

- No... - Where even the librarian can't find it.

This obsolete, romantic notion of an author sitting in their room...

- That's enough! Get out! - Excuse me?

You heard me! Get out!

Get away from my label!

[shouting] Get away from my label!

- [Linus] Nellie, I'll call you. - [door closes]

We're trying to have a conversation, and you walk in with your...

dirty, cheap, dramaturgical tricks!

I'm looking out for my client.

Financial stability is a prerequisite...

- [Friedrich shouting] Get out! - ...for securing Nellie's future artistry.

Can this publishing house offer her that? Huh? Can you?

[squeaking]

Have you ever wondered why they let you have your own label?

When you've run it into the ground,

they'll have a real reason to fire you.

Nobody wants you here. It's a plan to get rid of you.

Got it?

I really like your book.

But maybe we should pause this... for today.

I suddenly feel... a bit nauseous.

I'll walk you out.

[crowd chanting] Strikebreaker!

Hey!

Neither of us have anything to do with the commercial Lund & Lagerstedt.

You hear me?

[crowd mutters]

Make way for a literary star.

[Nellie giggles]

- [Nellie] Goodbye. - [Friedrich] Bye.

- [woman 1] Here. - What's this?

It's our appeal.

Well, I... [laughs] I couldn't have said it better myself.

This must be published in DN, now!

- [crowd] Yes! - But we... We've tried!

But there are no famous cultural figures on the list.

Get me the editor's number.

[crowd] Yes!

- [crowd] Good! - Yes!

[crowd] Yes!

[shouting] Max and I are going to lunch!

[giggles breathily]

- Are you coming? - I don't think I can.

- What? - I get dizzy when I stand up.

Okay. When did that start?

- When I was making copies. - When you were making copies?

Yes.

Okay.

- It feels really weird. - Yes, I get it!

So, she's Sweden's biggest influencer?

So we're doing anything for money now. What does an influencer even do?

Yeah...

[elevator dings]

- [woman 4] Hi. - Hi.

- Are you looking for someone? - Yes, I'm Nour Larsson.

Oh, my God! I didn't recognize you!

[shrieks]

- Hi. - Hi.

- Well, here she is! - Yes, here she is.

- You must be Sofie. - Yes, exactly.

And you must be Nour!

- Hi! - Hi.

God, it's so nice to finally meet you!

And you!

- Yes! God, super nice! - [Nour] Yes!

Yes! Come!

In this room over here...

- Did you find it okay? - [Nour] Mm.

- [Sofie] Yeah? That's great! - [Nour] Yeah.

I have to get some pastries!

- [Sofie] ...nice! - [Nour] Super nice!

[giggles nervously] She's so pretty!

[Sofie] In here.

So, here we have Nour.

Hi.

- Tom. - Nour. Pleasure.

- Hi. Denise. - Nice to meet you.

I'll just shut the door... Have a seat.

Make yourself at home, one of the gang...

- It was crazy outside. What's going on? - Yeah...

- [Nour] Insane. - I don't know.

It's some sort of... art thing.

Right. Okay.

- But I'm so happy you're here! - Thank you.

- [Nour] Great to be here. - Let's go!

[Denise] Hmm.

[mischievous music plays]

[crowd talking animatedly]

CULTURE BEFORE CAPITALISM

Here you go! Ash from a burned book!

- [Caroline coughs] - I hope dead art tastes good!

[crowd cheers and whoops]

It all started with me publishing a post where I pranked my little sister

by putting my hermit crab in her bed.

And then Ashton Kutcher liked the post, which was just, you know... insane.

Then his cousin's kid started following me.

- Yeah. - Things have just kept going from there.

Last year I got to start my own clothing brand,

and this year I'm launching my own cider.

And I've released a few books.

- Oh. - Fantastic!

[Nour laughs]

You've already managed to publish two autobiographies.

I must admit, I've only had time to read one.

But I have to say...

Oh, my God...

What an amazing sense of honesty.

- Really. - Great to hear.

Thank you.

But there's a lot of text,

so we've tried to lighten it up with pictures.

[Denise] Right. Okay.

[Sofie] Time for pastries.

Wh... What happened to you?

It was the protesters.

They said, "It's the ashes of our books."

- No... - What?

Burning books? Isn't that what they're protesting against?

I think it was a metaphor.

That's really interesting, but we're discussing Nour's super interesting books.

Yes...

- [crowd chanting] Literature murderers! - Oh, my God!

Literature murderers!

- I'm an IT technician! - Literature murderers!

- What? - I'm just an IT technician.

Literature murderers!

[Tom] Caroline, lock the door!

Literature murderers!

- No! - No.

- [Caroline] Sorry. - Where have you been?

Nowhere. In my office.

- Did they come in with you? - I don't know, maybe. I'm sorry.

[banging and crashing]

...murderers!

Literature murderers!

Literature murderers!

- [woman 1] Long live free literature! - [crowd chants] Long live free literature!

Long live...

- So, did you consider that photo book? - What?

- I don't think it's my thing. - Sofie wasn't down for it.

But I want us to see the potential in all our employees,

regardless of position.

- Did you pitch it to Sofie? - Yes.

I think she struggles to imagine an IT technician releasing books.

But I... I've made a real class journey.

So for me... I have a broader perspective.

[crowd chanting] ...words!

INDEPENDENT WORDS FREE AUTHORS!

[crowd chanting] Murder of our words!

Murder of our words!

Murder of our words!

Murder of our words!

That's enough!

We're working! You can't behave like this!

- Literature murderers! - [Sofie] No...

- Literature murderers! - [Sofie laughs]

- Really? - Eva!

Is that you, Eva?

It is you!

[laughs] You know each other?

Yes, we... work together.

- [Sofie] Right... - You're working with the poet Eva Hadzic?

She's my ghostwriter - Eva.

Yeah... Allonym...

That's what it's called. I write under an allonym.

Okay, so you don't just write poem collections?

Professionally, yes. But you have to be able to pay the rent.

- Damn it, Eva! - [woman 2] How can you live with yourself?

I'm not a wealthy child of the cultural elite like you.

Alright! It's time to take your performance somewhere else!

- I'm not moving an inch. - Nope.

Get out of here now!

Get out of here now, or I'll call the police.

- Hands off! - [woman 2] This is assault!

No, it's not! Get out, or I'll call the police!

We should be calling the police!

- It's Eva Hadzic, right? - [Eva] Yes.

So I know where to send the cleaning bill. Oh, right.

You need every penny to write your fancy fucking poetry.

- But... - Who knows? It might save the whole world!

Damn it.

You two, get out.

- Maybe I should go. - No, sit down.

Let's get on with the meeting.

Sit down.

Okay.

- Erm... - [Tom clears throat]

- I do apologize for that. - Yeah...

[cell phone dings]

- Oh, no! - What?

[Denise] It's a flash from DN.

"Lund & Lagerstedt's authors

have come together in an appeal against the company,

as the company requires self-financing."

"The development is said to have taken off

with the appointment of the new CEO, Sofie Rydman,

a financial consultant with no background in culture."

There's also a video clip.

[crowd chanting] ...murderers! Literature murderers!

[Sofie] We're a business!

Do you even know what that is?

- A business! - [crowd chanting] ...murderers!

Literature murderers!

It also says,

"Friedrich Jägerstedt, one of the people signing the appeal,

claims this is the beginning of the end for free literature."

"The authors are criticizing several aspects..."

[screaming] Friedrich!

I didn't say it exactly like that, I didn't!

Surely you understand that?

What the actual fucking fuck?

I think that... that I should go.

[screaming] No! You're staying! It's coffee time!

- [woman 1] Here he comes, our hero! - [crowd] Yes!

Well done, Friedrich!

It means a lot that you're speaking out about how badly your authors are treated.

Yeah... Thank you.

Friedrich!

Friedrich!

I got so upset when I read about this appeal.

I hadn't realized it was this bad.

It doesn't concern us. We're working at Jägerstedt Publishing.

You say that, but you share premises with those pigs.

As a socialist, it all feels totally wrong.

I can't stay with a publishing house that puts people into an A-Team and B-Team.

At my label everyone is in the A-Team!

- I think everyone is equal. - Me too.

Yes, but not all authors are geniuses like you, Nellie.

- That's why your book is so important! - So she's a genius?

- What are the rest of us? Mediocre? - So, what? Aren't all authors equal?

Naturally, some writings are worth more than others.

There's nothing wrong with that!

No, it...

The mediocre ones give the geniuses something to stand out from!

What the hell are you saying?

Are you insane?

- Do you hear what he's saying? - [crowd shouts angrily]

Tasty buns.

[Nour] Yeah.

[Sofie] Hmm.

[door opens]

[Sofie] Oh, here we go.

- Thanks. - You're welcome.

[Sofie] Okay...

So, coffee time is over.

Good. I'll continue on my own.

So, get out.

Not you.

You're staying. The rest of you, get out.

Close the door.

Nice.

We can continue on our own.

I don't know if I think...

if it feels like the right time.

Why not?

I thought I'd show you our new sales strategy.

MIMIC

I'm not so used to...

the tone that you use here.

I don't think that this publishing house would work that well for me.

I don't think that this publishing house would work that well for me.

Sorry, what?

Sorry, what?

Erm...

Erm...

[Nour] What are you doing?

Is this some sort of prank?

What are you doing? Is this some sort of prank?

You're actually out of your fucking mind.

You're actually out of your fucking mind.

[door closes]

Hey!

They've gone home!

[Ronny laughs]

[crowd chanting angrily]

- [woman 3] Come on! - [woman 1] Come here!

- [woman 2] Run, you fucking pig! - [woman 3] Come back!

[crowd chanting in video] Literature murderers!

[Sofie in video] We're a business!

Do you even know what that is?

A business!

[crowd chanting] ...murderers! Literature murderers!

[phone rings]

- [Nille] Hello, there. - Hello, there.

Are you okay?

Are you okay?

We've read DN, and it doesn't look good.

Not at all.

It doesn't look good.

Not at all.

You keep cutting out, Sofie. Can you hear me?

- Mm. Can you hear me? - I can hear you, Sofie.

Don't take this the wrong way, but let's drop the team thing.

I know it must be tough that I'm tearing up your whole financial model,

but our bank hasn't been able to grant a single loan application.

I've just been to a board meeting, and we'll continue being investors

if you can come up with a new, sustainable idea for how to move forward.

Sofie?

Er... You seem to have a really bad connection.

The picture's frozen.

Ah, now it's moving!

You've been stabbed in the back by one of your own co-workers,

so you have to get the group back together and come up with a new way forward.

- Okay? - Okay.

Good! That's settled then.

- That's settled then. - Bye, bye.

Bye... bye.

[Dad] Why don't you have any proper books?

This is just mass-market garbage.

But you don't have time to read. Your focus is on money-making.

You don't know anything about my job, Dad.

But now I'm here, and I can tell that this isn't leading anywhere.

Can you stop talking about things you have no clue about?

I haven't asked for your opinion.

You've become a cold person, Sofie.

Or you're just confused,

but either way, you have to start caring about others.

You have to do it before capitalism consumes your soul.

So we're going to discuss politics now?

Yeah, no...

Well, why not?

It's all about how you view the world, right?

You don't get to tell me how to live my fucking life!

Y... You need to calm down, Sofie.

And breathe.

- Breathe properly. - You know nothing about life!

If you did, you wouldn't have fucking left me!

[sobs breathily] Sofie...

- All of this is your fault! - Darl...

- Darl... - Your fault!

You need to breathe and take it easy!

No...

[sombre music plays]

Subtitle translation by: Josephine Roos Henriksson