Hævnen, or In A Better World, as it is known in English, is a Danish film directed by Susanne Bier that won both the Academy Award and the Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film in 2011.
"Anton (Mikael Persbrandt) is a doctor who commutes between his home in an idyllic town in Denmark, and his work at an African refugee camp. In these two very different worlds, he and his family are faced with conflicts that lead them to difficult choices between revenge and forgiveness. Anton and his wife Marianne (Trine Dyrholm), who have two young sons, are separated and struggling with the possibility of divorce. Their older, ten-year-old son Elias (Markus Rygaard) is being bullied at school, until he is defended by Christian (William Jøhnk Nielsen), a new boy who has just moved from London with his father, Claus (Ulrich Thomsen). Christian's mother recently lost her battle with cancer, and Christian is greatly troubled by her death. Elias and Christian quickly form a strong bond, but when Christian involves Elias in a dangerous act of revenge with potentially tragic consequences, their friendship is tested and lives are put in danger. Ultimately, it is their parents who are left to help them come to terms with the complexity of human emotions, pain and empathy."
The acting, cinematography, and musical soundtrack are all perfect elements in a film that questions what it means to be on this planet; what it means to choose between peace and revenge. The story itself is perhaps a bit ponderous, but the message of the film is so strong and so heartfelt that one cannot come away from it untouched. Bier challenges Hollywood's notions of the age-old themes of life and death, rendering a fresh take on the fragility of humankind. I urge you all to see Hævnen. I haven't seen many Scandinavian films, but I will for sure remember this for a long time.
