Original subtitles

Our Father, Who art in Heaven.

Alma, do you have the chicken?

- Yes, it's right here. - Get that into the kitchen.

THE BIBLE

When you're done, get some more firewood.

- Do we have everything? - Yes.

- One field hand doesn't eat cheese. - I know.

Working sitting down today. Nonsense.

I hope it doesn't rain.

I won't be at ease until we've brought in the harvest.

- No... - Tomorrow, they say.

At the latest.

Move it!

- Lise. - Hello, Mother.

Not much room left for him now. I had a vision last night.

- I dreamt it was a boy. - Dreams should not be taken lightly.

- I'm hoping it's a sister. - As long as the child is healthy.

- But what do I know about childbirth. - It's no laughing matter for sure.

But still not so bad as to not go through it again.

- One can get someone like you after all. - Who's now leaving home.

- What good is school supposed to do? - Old Sine...

Some of us are made for this life. Some are made for other things.

Even if Lise ends up being the only one of my girls I get to send off...

His will be done.

God has great plans for you.

- Come on. - Easy now. No!

- Mother! - Why are you sitting here?

- I want the chair! - No, it's mine!

- I want to sit on your lap. - No, Tomas, I can't with my big belly.

- Go to Lise. - Stop it.

I jumped much further than you.

You all get a slice of apple.

I dropped my basket of berries but then I found an apple tree.

And then what did you do?

Hello, Knud.

Yes, there's Tomas.

God keep you all.

- How come you're already packing? - Come here.

Close your eyes.

Now open them.

- But they're your favorite. - Yes, and now they're yours.

- Don't they fit you anymore? - Fine! I'll give them to Hanne instead.

No!

- Say, "thank you, favorite sister". - Thank you, my dumbest sister.

- Now you'll never get them. - I didn't want your ugly shoes anyway.

Let me go!

Stop! Stop it!

- Oh, so you do want them? - I hate you!

Stop it!

Father! Wait.

Please, can I come, too?

I might find something for little Hanne at the market. Where's your sister?

Lise!

Come here.

- Take this to the Miller's Farm. - Yes, Father.

You might as well make yourself useful while you're still here.

- I don't condone your going to school. - No, Father.

It's a waste if you ask me.

But once your mother has set her mind on something...

- She is your responsibility today. - Yes.

And clean yourself up. You look like a child.

Hello?

Hello?

Is anybody here?

I thought you were dead.

Why are you sitting here?

Where is everyone?

They left.

Without you?

I'm supposed to help the new owner. Show him how things work.

Run the farm for him, you could say.

When will he be here?

Who feeds you?

I'm not hungry.

- Have you eaten anything today? - I said, I'm not hungry.

I'm not that hungry either.

- I'm also leaving home, soon. - What do I care?

I mean we're all grown now. We don't need our parents anymore, do we?

- Come. Let's make some noise. - Why?

Come on! It's your farm! You can do whatever you want.

Come on!

I told you. It's no use.

What are you doing? Give it back!

- Give it back. It's my mother's. - "Give it back. It's my mother's."

- You're being mean. - Going to run home to Mommy and cry now?

Well, you wouldn't know anything about that, you don't even have a mother!

I'm sorry. I didn't mean it.

- You can have it on one condition. - What?

- Pull up your dress. - What?

- Pull up your dress. - No, I won't.

I pity you.

You're a pathetic human being.

No wonder your father left you behind.

Whore.

Oh, I almost forgot.

You owe us money.

Give it to your new master when he arrives.

One, two, three, four, five!

Catch us if you can!

- Come on, Lise. - You're so bad at it.

Hanne? Is it you? Your turn.

- Hanne is it. - Why does it have to be me?

- Come on. - Hanne's so bad at it.

Spin her around.

One, two, three...

- How do you know how he likes it? - You can feel it.

Come here.

It will be good for you.

- You are never coming back home. - Sure I will.

No, you'll meet a rich man -

- and you'll move into his big fancy house filled with books.

You'll forget all about Broholm... and your brother.

You're not my brother.

- Sorry, I didn't... - No.

- I didn't mean it like that. - I'm not.

You know Kristian from the Miller's Farm?

When you lost your parents, did they just abandon you, too?

My mother left me because she didn't want me.

- Mothers always want their children. - Yes, your mother.

If it weren't for her, I don't know where I'd be.

They all just abandoned Kristian. He's all alone now.

- Do you think Mother will take him in? - Do you fancy the pale Kristian?

- Of course not! - Are you smitten with Kristian?

Are you out of your mind? Never!

- No, no, no! - Want me to groom you like a horse?

No, Jens Peter!

I'll groom you instead!

Lise, there you are!

Get your siblings and go to Granny's. Your mother is not feeling well.

- What's the matter with Mother? - A headache. You were being too noisy.

That's what Alma said. Come along, Hanne. And Tomas.

- That hurt a little. - Hanne, come on!

- I want to be the man! - Sure.

- Look at me. - Well done, Bodil.

- This flower smells so good. - Really?

- Mind the thistles. - Come along, Bodil.

- I'll beat you to it! - No way!

Oh yes!

- Come on. - Not like that.

- Tomas, you cheated! - Three, two, one.

It's stuck.

- Mine won! - No, mine won!

Mine won!

- No, mine came first! - The hairpiece!

Helga, can you look after them? I dropped something.

I'll be right back, I promise!

- No, you didn't! - Mine's stuck in there, but I still won.

Karen.

Midwife Iversen, good of you to rush over. She's in full labor.

Oh, that doesn't sound too good.

Mother, nobody uses that chair anymore.

I used it for all my childbirths. It might not have been good enough for you -

- but my daughter-in-law should have the option.

- Tag, Bodil is it. - Bodil is it.

- Tag, Hans is it! - Tag!

I'm it!

- Tomas, tag someone. - Lise, come and play.

- Not now. - Why not?

Leave her be. She's acting all grown up because she's going away to school.

Are you here, too? Helga, the cousins are here!

Grethe, join us.

Elsbet?

- Did you see our mother at Broholm? - No, we came from home. Why?

- Come, Elsbet. - I'm coming.

Aren't you coming?

She thinks she's all grown up.

I can still see them.

Now, children, don't make such a racket! Indeed, indeed.

- Only the good Lord knows the answer. - You're Old Sine!

I'm going to wear this to the harvest festival on Saturday.

- No, you can't. - Sure she can.

- I want to go too! - We're going to dance all night long.

And you're going to wear that dress!

Lise, come on!

Dance with me.

Children! What's going on here?

Tomas and Bodil, come with me. It's your bedtime.

Is Mother still sick?

Tomas and Bodil! Come on!

We're leaving. Come on.

No, Hans.

One, two, three...

Jens Peter!

Hurry!

Get Doctor Lund immediately!

Run faster!

Come on, Lise. We need to see what's happening.

- And then we'll leave right away. - Then we'll leave right away.

Why hasn't he left yet?

Come.

Anna. I need to listen to you. Will you please lie down!

There...

- It's now. He has to go now. - You can't go against Anna's wish.

She doesn't know her own name anymore. How is she to make any decision?

We must wait for her permission.

You mustn't oppose a vision!

A vision is the poor man's medicine!

If this is allowed to continue, Anders won't see his wife alive again.

- Mother, we have to do something! - The doctor won't make any difference.

It's up to the good Lord now to keep Anna alive.

And the Lord we address ourselves. For that we don't need Doctor Lund.

Have you all gone mad?

Should a dream dictate life and death?

These are matters you don't understand!

- I know that dream sits deep with her. - Such a clear dream must be heeded.

Dreams should guide you, not rule you.

Midwife Iversen says the delivery will be followed by much bleeding. That we know.

If we get the doctor now, he can stop it. She'll have a chance!

If he comes later, it may be too late. Just listen to her!

It may be up to the Lord in the end -

- but at least we'll have done what we could.

The dream spoke of a difficult delivery to a boy. So far that has become true.

It also said that if the doctor came, she would die.

If one part of the dream is true, I'll wager the other part is, too.

This is madness!

There, there, now. Breathe.

Anna, please listen to me.

- Please let me send for the doctor. - No, I don't want the doctor.

- I don't want to die. - But that's why we need the doctor.

I don't want to leave my children!

- I need to throw up. - Here you go.

God help me! Save me, I beg you.

Help me.

Relieve me from my pain!

Let's go.

Of course you should come, Nils.

After a long day in the fields, come to the bog party in town.

- And who are you hoping to meet? - Martha from the North Farm?

- Wouldn't you like to know? - I don't give a damn.

- Or you could take me to your bed. - You'd like that, wouldn't you?

- I won't disappoint. - That's not what I heard.

- What have you heard? - A different story.

- So tell me. And kiss me. - Just dance. I don't want to kiss you.

- Why not? - I want to dance.

- Kiss me! - No!

- Are we going home now? - No, not yet.

- Will they come and get us soon? - Yes.

Will Mother be well tomorrow?

- Yes, she will. - All well?

Go to sleep now. Everything will be much better tomorrow.

Please sing Mother's song.

Now sleep, my dear, and have no fear.

Sleep sweet as can be, like birds in a tree.

Like flowers in valleys so deep.

The angels on high

will be standing by

to watch over you when you sleep.

If anyone is to blame, it's farmer Jensen.

Why must men make so many children?

- I never want it inside of me! - Me neither!

But you must in order to make children.

Father said all the peasants left the Miller's Farm when Kirsten died.

Why?

They didn't want to work for farmer Jensen when Kirsten was gone.

- That's going to happen to us as well. - But your mother is not going to die.

Some good might come from a mother dying.

Like what?

- She can't boss you around anymore. - Or tell you to watch the little ones.

Or dry you with that rough cloth.

- If our mother died, I'd wear jewelry. - Yes, Mother's lovely heart necklace.

It's so beautiful.

- I'd cut my hair. - But you couldn't.

Sure she could. Lise is the eldest. She can do what she wants!

I'd wear my best dress to school. The one that rustles when you move.

Like the consul's daughter in Fjordby.

- You could go for walks with Jens Peter. - Why would I go for walks with him?

I saw you waiting outside the stables for him the other day.

And then when it was the gardener's son, you took off in a hurry!

- Not true! - It is. Or do you prefer Karl Johannes?

Karl Johannes? Don't be silly. But maybe you fancy him?

He's not all bad.

He's off to be an apprentice now. You could be pen pals.

Then you can wait impatiently by the fence every day.

And you can keep his letters in a box and take them out and smell them.

- Just to feel closer to him. - Like in the novels.

Yes, like in the novels.

You can't do any of that if you have a mother.

No.

You can't.

Why are you laughing?

We'll never talk like this about Mother again. Never!

Understand?

It would be horrible if she died.

Who'd comfort us after a nightmare?

Who'd stroke our hair when we'd done particularly good?

Who'd sing us a lullaby and say the Lord's Prayer with us?

I've been a terrible daughter.

- No, you haven't. - Yes, I have.

Remember when we were going to church and I refused to wear that ugly old hat?

I yelled at Mother and made her cry.

That night, she told us to be good children.

Because a day would come where she wouldn't be with us anymore.

And today, I borrowed Mother's hairpiece...

- And now it's gone. - Did you lose it?

Is there nothing we can do? This waiting is driving me mad!

Perhaps we could pray to God.

Yes, Helga. That's exactly what we need to do.

It's in the Lord's hands now. Grandma said so herself.

Our Father, Who art in Heaven.

Hallowed be Thy name, Thy Kingdom come.

Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.

Thy will be done.

Lise! Go on.

What if God's will is to take Mother?

It isn't.

I don't want His will to be done if it means He'll take Mother.

This just won't do.

- Lise. - Leave me be.

Lise!

Dear God.

I've been bad.

I'm sorry I took Mother's hairpiece.

I'm sorry I exposed myself to Kristian.

I'm a bad, bad person but I promise to be better.

Punish me if you will.

Take school from me.

Take Jens Peter from me.

Take what you want.

But I beg of you...

don't take Mother.

God, can you forgive me?

Thank you. Thank you.

Everything is going to be all right.

What was that?

Was it Jens Peter?

Let's go back now.

- But we can't leave the little ones. - We have to see what's going on.

Lise!

Come on!

It's been a long night.

The doctor will know what to do when he gets here.

It was about time we sent for him.

It was her wish.

We couldn't do it without her permission.

Why did we have to wait all night?

They wouldn't send for the doctor if she was dead.

My... Are you here?

I thought you were sound asleep in Grandma's house.

We couldn't sleep.

Of course you shouldn't be there all alone.

Agnes, go over and sit with the little ones.

Alma, get the girls a cup of warm milk.

I suppose you haven't heard that you have a new baby sister.

- A sister? - She was born just after one o'clock.

- So it's not a boy? - No, it's a girl.

- There's still hope, then. - It's not a sister but a brother.

- I was sure it was a girl. - That's not what I heard.

Truth be told we don't quite know. So no more talk about it.

There you go, little girls.

There now.

Please, let it be a girl.

Let it be a girl.

This is from the floor alone.

What seeped through the mattress.

- Jesus! - I've never seen anything like it.

It gushed out of her.

- Any news? Did you get hold of Anders? - Mother!

- Girls, what are you doing here? - We were all alone at Grandma's.

- It was so dark. - We were so scared, Mother.

Your mother is very tired. She's asleep in bed.

May we see her?

Not just now.

She needs to rest.

- Girls, please do as you're told. - Of course, Mother.

What was it?

The child. Was it a brother or a sister?

A boy.

Alma, soak the big salt cod for tomorrow.

Tomorrow is another day with no less to do.

Karen, put the big pot on the stove.

But is it worth it, Mother? Tonight of all nights?

After childbirth, we have fruit soup and waffles.

I've had it each of the 14 times I've lain there.

I don't see why my daughter-in-law should be denied what I had.

Grandmother, aren't you sad?

Who says I'm not?

You're not crying.

When you've put your husband, your parents and ten children in the ground...

tears are harder to come by.

Trust in the good Lord's plan.

He knows best.

His will be done.

The doctor will know what to do when he gets here.

Henrik once drove to Fjordby in less than an hour, so they'll be here soon.

Everything can seem so dark and then a sudden light can shine.

I remember when everyone had given up on Big Ida -

- and now she works harder than anyone in the field.

We could even have the christening already during the harvest festival.

Indeed! What a celebration that will be!

You see, girls?

Everything will be just fine.

Are they coming?

I can't stop thinking about that bull.

- I can't stop thinking about the owner. - Right...

I should leave.

- But I promised you a bite to eat. - Don't worry about it.

Anders, where have you been?

You should have been here. Where were you?

We've been trying to reach you all night.

Thank you, Kristense.

He's here!

Doctor Lund is here!

This is it! Stoke the fire. Do we have fresh water in the bucket?

Anna... Can you hear me?

I think I was able to remove most of the placenta.

Anna, can you hear me?!

Is that you, Doctor Lund?

- Yes. How are you? - I'm tired.

- I just want to sleep. - No, first we must stop the bleeding.

- Elsbet. - Yes.

Take Lise to the loft and get some sheets.

Jens Peter once saw a dead man up there.

The man lives in the loft.

There's no such thing as ghosts.

Old Sine says those who have undone business on earth turn into ghosts -

- until God decides whether to send them to Heaven or Hell.

Why wouldn't God know beforehand?

Come on!

- Do you believe in God? - Yes, of course.

Then why does he make Mother suffer like that?

- Maybe he's punishing her. - For what?

- Because woman ate of the apple. - But so did man.

Yes, but the woman took the first bite.

- So will Mother go to Hell? - Of course not.

Lise!

Aunt Anna would never go to Hell.

But maybe God is punishing you for taking that silver hairpiece.

- So now he takes your mother from you. - He's not taking my mother from me.

Well, we don't know that for certain.

You said you defied your mother. God tells us to honor our parents...

- I'm done with God! - Lise, wait.

- Let's go back. - We need the sheets.

- Don't open the chest! - Why?

- The dead man is in that chest. - Stop! There's no such thing as ghosts.

Elsbet!

Elsbet.

Mother, help me.

Our Father.

Who art in Heaven.

Hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come.

Thy will be done on earth -

- as it is in Heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread -

- and forgive us our trespasses -

- as we forgive those who trespass against us.

Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory -

- for ever and ever.

Amen.

Mother...

- Mother. - Come here.

There you go.

Is my mother dead now?

Yes, she is.

But why is she dead?

Come along.

This is yours, isn't it? I found it in the hay.

Take me with you, Jens Peter. Please!

I can't.

Broholm is your responsibility now.

Lise!

AS IN HEAVEN

FOR OUR MOTHERS AND DAUGHTERS

Subtitles: Helle Schou Kristiansen Dansk Video Tekst