AKE ALL BERNHARD ERIK GRADERS HENNING KARIN KITCHEN_MAID LEFFLER MARJA MILTON MOM_OF_THE NURSE OFFICIAL PIANO_STUDENT PIERRE PUPIL PUPILERS PUPILS SECOND SILVERHJELM SPEAKER_MALE STINA TOSSE MARJA Perhaps we erhaps we will all reach a poi a point where we must understand that the only choice we ce we have is ve is to give up. When we see that what we're fighting for is only causing misery. Misery for ourselves... SILVERHJELM Look at ok at me! MARJA ...and for those that we c e care about. SILVERHJELM Keep eating! Go on, sit down! Sit down! LEFFLER Search! MARJA Life wa e wants one thing for us. Every time we fight it... someone gets hurt. SILVERHJELM The Council sentences you, Pierre Tang e Tanguy, to six weekends. MARJA Maybe we e we'll come to a p a point when we n we realize t ze that the only way to win is t n is t n is to not even compete. KARIN Will you be late? AKE I'll be as late as I want. Why do you ask? If I call home from work and there's a busy signal... KARIN I know, you have made that point clear. AKE Why? Why do you defy me? Huh? Why do you make me this way? I don't understand wh d why you humiliate me. Can't you see what I do for you? Where you e you live, the life you have? Why do you oppose m se me? Why?! KARIN What has he ever done to you? He ? He's your son! AKE A son shows respect. He'll never win. He'll be back one day e day. We'll talk more abou e about this tonight. SPEAKER MALE We're awaiting the next event. Lars St�larm from Bergshamra School. Hans Kan ns Kanterberg, Solbacka Up cka Upper Secondary School. Bj�rn S n Stegman. We welcome H�sthaga... TOSSE Nervous? SPEAKER MALE ...Solbacka and cka and Bergshamra to Stjernsberg for a day of sport and ca d camaraderie. I declare this year's championship open p open! DAHL�N Did she d she say no, or? SILVERHJELM She said she d she couldn't stop m p me. But if I push too hard now d now, she couldn't make any e any guarantees. I might lose my sight permanently on one eye. But what the hell does a sch a school nurse know? An ? An eye surgeon wouldn't work here. He's on the list. SILVERHJELM What's happening here? To our school spirit. Our pride. Rats swim in sew n sewers, not here. DAHL�N Doesn't he understand the ser e seriousness? Would he sacr e sacrifice Tang ce Tanguy? SILVERHJELM I'd rather see that cup in a di a display case ay case at Bergshamra than with hi h his name next to mine. If the message isn't clear enough, we might need to repeat it. SPEAKER MALE These students are qualified for the high jump finals... PUPIL Tanguy, where a e are you e you going? PUPIL Yeah, where the hell are you going. PUPIL We're taking you to Olympus. ERIK I don't know how much more he can take. TOSSE Nothing will be better if you don't compete. This school needs someone who resists. Who takes a st a stand against this hierarchical system. Get it? ERIK Can I ask you something? W ? Why do you still work here after years? TOSSE I'm an idiot. Or I've wa ve waited f d for someone like you. Show them what you've got. Give them all you've go ve got. This is how we get e get to them. PIERRE One ought to tell them there are g e gravel paths. MILTON Are t e they doing it on purpose. PIERRE Of course, they are. MILTON They wa ey want us to miss the start signal, right? We are not e not meant to make it on t n time. PIERRE But we wi e will make it. MILTON I will go and ge d get clean w n water. PIERRE You are right. This will take forever... DAHL�N Am I interrupting? Milton is taking a walk. I wanted a p a private chat. Stand up d up when I n I'm talking to you. Let's talk about your friend. PIERRE Erik Ponti isn't my friend. If it weren't for him, I wouldn't be here and wo d wouldn't have a ve a single stitch... DAHL�N Look at ok at me when we n we speak. All I'm saying is that if he's on the starting block this afternoon... PIERRE I'll see what I can do. DAHL�N Good. SPEAKER MALE Anton Laurin from H�sthaga. It's the final stretch. Cederberg, while Laurin e Laurin is closing in. And from Stjernsberg, Bengt Johan Edelfeldt. Even closer now. One last curve left. Almost impossible to decide who is f o is f o is first. Now all the runners are out of the last curve, heading into the zone. First shift there. We have e have the next man out there! TOSSE Yes, almost there. SPEAKER MALE It's the second last bend. Bergshamra is in the lead, followed by H� by H�sthaga. It's impossible to tell who's in the lead. The runners are just finishing, and here's the changeover. TOSSE Let's go, Erik. It's your turn. Come on! SPEAKER MALE The di e distance seems to b o be get e getting bigger for Stjernsberg. PUPIL Come on now, Ponti. KITCHEN MAID Don't you want to wa o watch the race? MARJA Shouldn't you watch the sausages? MILTON Well done! PIERRE Come on! SPEAKER MALE We are ge e getting closer to the final changeover. PIERRE Come on, Erik. SPEAKER MALE The f e final changeover! Bergshamra. H�sthaga. Stjernsberg dropped the baton! Stjernsberg is coming in g in last! Bergshamra is taking the lead. H�sthaga is just behind. MILTON Come on now! Come on e on now! TOSSE Run! Run! PIERRE Come on, come on e on, come on, e on, come on. SPEAKER MALE Bergshamra has a has a massive le ve lead. MILTON Come on! SPEAKER MALE Erik Ponti from Stjernsberg and g and Anders Walltin from Bergshamra! And there. SPEAKER MALE he wi e winner, after a hi a historical home s e stretch... TOSSE What an incredible ho e home stretch! SPEAKER MALE ...is Bergshamra. TOSSE Damn, that was a g a great home s e stretch! We'll beat them next time. SPEAKER MALE We thank ou nk our contestants for the excitement and a good a good race. Let's give a ve a warm hand to Bergshamra! KITCHEN MAID He got e got him at the finishing line. MARJA They got ey got who? KITCHEN MAID Your boyfriend is d is a good a good runner. Aren't you going to talk to him? MARJA He's not my boyfriend. KITCHEN MAID Don't be ridiculous. Of course he is. What's he like? He ? He is nicely looking. PIERRE I know damned well what you can do, Erik. ERIK What? PIERRE I know damned well what you can do. ERIK Tell... Tell me wh e what to do o do? PIERRE I knew it. I could see d see it on you. n you. You could have w ve won if you wanted to. ERIK Don't talk about "want". I'm not here by e by choice. Every day brings something new g new. Punishment, detention. They make your life hel e hell. You know that too. What do you think will happen if I win? PIERRE I can handle it e it. ERIK I'd be happy to win if n if they were only punishing me. Then I would have wo d have wo d have won, but they're no e not. PIERRE Don't lose swimming, Erik. You're not the guy in the box or Silverhielm. ERIK Stop it. PIERRE Listen! The entire s e school is watching. Now you have t ve the chance to show them. ERIK I don't give a ve a shit about school. PIERRE Marja might be watching. ERIK I'm not sure Marja is still here. And she doesn't care abou e about a swimming competition. PIERRE She is. I've seen her. ERIK It's not just about school, Pierre. I've never had a real friend. I don't know what they'll do to you if I win. And I can't let them do it. PIERRE Do you o you think I nk I can let you lo u lose f se for my sake? ERIK What did t d they say about today? PIERRE Nothing. Not since Milton and I were punished. Not since then. ERIK Seriously, what have they said? What's the threat? PIERRE It's not just a swimming contest. It's a chance to s o show that the system can be changed. You think you nk you're saving me, but if you give up, ve up, everything I've al ve already gone through wi h will be meaningless. STINA How are you? Hey... MARJA I don't know what made me do e do that. STINA Yes, I know. I know. MARJA It's not who I am. I don't do that. Damn it... You're right. What's the use in thinking that things will be different? STINA Don't let him control your life. MARJA I don't do that. MARJA You don't work in the dining room any longer, just the kitchen. You never go out. You avoid hi d him all day. How can you start a new a new life when you n you hold on d on to bad things in the past? He's a g a gray jacket among a g a hundred others. Marja... Don't turn hi n him into more than that. The others are watching the swimming contest. I'm going. SPEAKER MALE Good a d afternoon and welcome to the championship -meter finals at the Stjernsberg School's pool. As usual, the competition is n is fierce... SECOND I'd rather watch you swim. You'd beat him for sure. Now, it'll be a b a breeze for him. We can't GRADERS let the cup go to a o a junior rat. SILVERHJELM We'll see. Rumor has it he's not swimming. SECOND I think t nk the rumor is mistaken. GRADERS SPEAKER MALE In la n lane we have e have Bjorn Stegman. Erik Ponti is in la n lane . We'd li d like to a o ask everyone to pl o please find a sea a seat. We're wa e waiting on the green li n light to start. TOSSE How do you feel? ERIK It's good. SPEAKER MALE The t e times will be posted outside the building. I've just been told that we're starting in two minutes. Two minutes. We ask the contestants to prepare. TOSSE Focus, Erik. TOSSE Focus? Erik. Hang on g on. SPEAKER MALE We're starting in one n one minute. I repeat, one minute. PUPILERS Oh! PUPIL Come on, Otto. PUPIL PUPIL Come on now! PUPIL You will get back at that rat, Otto! TOSSE What are you doing? SILVERHJELM Am I not welcome here? TOSSE I understand that you really want to be here, but your name is e is not on the list. SILVERHJELM I find that strange. I'm a part of the swim team. TOSSE Hm. SILVERHJELM Chairman of the Student Council. And my father is on the school board. PIERRE Go for it! SILVERHJELM If I were you, I'd go d go over the list again. PUPIL Beat Ponti! SILVERHJELM Many other gym teachers are better than you at writing lists. PUPIL Otto, show him who's boss! SPEAKER MALE It looks like there's a change in e in the line-up. Bj�rn Stegman will be replaced. Stjernsberg's second lane will be taken up n up by the reigning district champion, Otto Silverhielm. PUPIL Come on, Otto! SPEAKER MALE The cont e contestants are on e on the starting blocks and waiting for the start signal. OFFICIAL Ready... Get set... Start! SPEAKER MALE And the race is on! Lars St�larm from Bergshamra is f a is f a is followed by Otto Si o Silverhielm. And then Hans Kanterberg. The first turn. It looks like we ke we have two from Stjernsberg in t n the lead. Otto Silverhielm in la n lane . TOSSE Come on, Erik! SPEAKER MALE Followed by Erik Pon by Erik Pon by Erik Ponti in la n lane . As we're nearing the turn, it's a fierce battle. Will we see e see a new champion? Erik ? Erik Ponti is in t n the lead! ALL Yes! TOSSE Yes! SPEAKER MALE Erik Ponti from Stjernsberg! He wi e wins the championships! A new name on the plaque Erik Ponti! TOSSE Ponti, well done! SPEAKER MALE For the first time, Otto Si o Silverhielm has to give up ve up his cup. Congratulations, Erik Ponti! SILVERHJELM I believe you just sacrificed your friend. PIERRE Yes! KARIN It's going well, I think. She know e knows all the signatures. MOM OF THE PIANO STUDENT Hm... I was talking about you now KARIN I'm doing fine too. I've been playing for years now, so I am starting to get the hang of it. MOM OF THE PIANO STUDENT Ann-Christin, go out in the stairway and pl d play for a bit. Mummy will be out in a n a minute. KARIN Thanks for asking, but I'm fine. MOM OF THE PIANO STUDENT People ar e are talking, you know. AKE go ke got in a n a fight at the restaurant. KARIN He's had a tough period. It has been difficult for him. MOM OF THE PIANO STUDENT No one wo o one wo o one would doub d doubt you if you told peop d people. You can get help. Henning's door is always open. KARIN What does that mean? MOM OF THE PIANO STUDENT Exactly wh xactly what you want it to. Just like wh ke when you left the agency. KARIN He wa e wants to be o be the family's breadwinner, so... MOM OF THE PIANO STUDENT What do you want? Life i e isn't a puni a punishment that one m e must accept. It's not. HENNING Any lu ny luck? SPEAKER MALE The wi e winner of the -meter swimming competition and new d new champion Erik Ponti! PUPILS Ponti! Ponti! Ponti! Ponti! Ponti! Ponti! Ponti! Ponti! ERIK Have you seen Pierre? PUPIL No, I don't think so. Congratulations. ERIK Milton? Milton, have you ve you seen Pi n Pierre? MILTON He sai e said he' d he'd come, but don't know where he went. PUPIL Did you d you see that? PUPIL Yes, it came ou e out of the blue. he hit him in the face. PUPIL What? Did he d he do anything t g to them? ERIK Hey! Listen up! What are you talking about? ERIK I'm sorry, Pierre. Damn it n it, I'm so sorry. PIERRE I'm glad you did it d it. It was the right thing to do. I wish I sh I could take a beating like you. ke you. ERIK It's over now. I won't challenge them again. PIERRE Yes, I think you nk you should. ERIK What'll happen to you? We'll sort this out, I promise. I can be like you ke you. NURSE What are you doing here, Ponti? The di e dining hall is open. PIERRE Go and o and eat, before you miss dinner. ERIK Look... We haven't finished t d talking about this. PIERRE What a swi a swimmer you are! You're so da so damned good d good. ERIK See you later in the room. PUPILS Come, Lord Jesus, our guest to be o be And bless t ess these gifts bestowed by Thee Bless our ess our loved ones everywhere And keep them in Thy n Thy loving care Amen. STINA Is he not coming? Sho ? Should I d I make him something? ERIK If you can. STINA Come back after we've closed. ERIK Hey... Is she in e in there? STINA I can get you food, but not anything you want. MARJA Hi. I'm just delivering t g this. ERIK Can't we talk? MARJA No... I'm just here becau e because St se Stina made me. ERIK Let me expl e explain. MARJA No. But I'll explain. Sit down. MARJA I have a b a brother. He's two year o years older than me. I'm not asking you to understand. You haven't witnessed violence li ce like t ke that. You've never been that afraid. My family has a farm. A house, stables, meadows. On the other side of the meadow... there are four brothers from the same family. I don't remember when o n or why it started. I'm not sure anyon e anyone does. MARJA Maybe they hit him because they hated him. Maybe they started hating him after beating him up. Sometimes they did it every day, other times it was weeks apart. But in the end, it became normal. He thought that was wh as who he o he was. Someone to be beaten and degraded because he deserved it. MARJA In the end, he couldn't take it. ke it. I saw him... I saw him jump. It was four years ago. He can e can no longer walk nor speak. There's pressure inside his brain and n and he needs more su e surgery. Four years. Not a sin a single da e day passes when I don't wonder what I should ha d have do ve done. When I should have done ve done it. Every time I receive a ve a letter, I know he's worse agai se again. That... MARJA That's what evil does, Erik. That's what happens when you n you give up ve up. ERIK So don't o don't. Stay. MARJA I'll never get away from this school. But I won't let it affect me. ERIK I'm not this school. MARJA I slapped someone today. It wasn't hard, but I hit someone. Everything impacts other people. This place, you, everything turns me in e into so o someone I e I don't want to be o be. There we e were no e no potatoes left, but plenty of bread. ERIK Marja... I'd ne d never hurt someone I like. MARJA Can't you see that's what you're doi e doing? Al ? All the time. That's who you became. AKE Hello? Hello? Who is this? Erik. ? Erik... I know it's you. I don't know where your mother is. But I promise you, if you're in e involved in t n this... the next time I e I see you... ERIK You know what? You'll never see me agai e again. But I was r as right. I should be ashamed of you, not the other way a ay around. AKE Who the hell do you think you nk you are? ERIK I don't know. But I know who I won't become. ERIK It was so as some sort of roast. Maybe no e not your favorite. ERIK Where the hell is Tanguy? PUPIL I don't know. ERIK Has anybo as anybody seen Pi n Pierre? Where is he? e is he? e is he? BERNHARD What the hell is the problem? ERIK Where's Silverhielm? BERNHARD What has Silver... You can't come in he n here and e and demand to see o see people. ERIK Where's Silverhielm? BERNHARD Erik, as your friend... ERIK As you friend? Am I in t n that much trouble? That you're the closest I have to a f a friend? DAHL�N What the hell's your problem, Ponti? You ? You come in here wi e without knocking. Are you e you suicidal? O ? Or are you so stupid that you st u still don't know the rules? ERIK He's the best student at this school. And you force hi e him out of here. What has he ever done to you? Pi ? Pierre Tanguy. You're such damned cowards. Instead o d of going after me, you break him, who's already weak and hasn't caused you any trouble. He know e knows your ridiculous... DAHL�N That's enough! So, you want us to take it up with you directly? ERIK You know what'll happen. What? DAHL�N What? ERIK Tell me wh e what hand you write wi e with. I might spare it. DAHL�N It doesn't matter. You won't do anything to ei o either of them. ERIK As you wish. I gave you the chance anyway. SILVERHJELM Don't just lie there, Ponti. I said, get up! What are you doing? St ? Stand up when I speak to you. Are you asking for punishment? SILVERHJELM You're no e not too cocky now, eh? ERIK No. But I can see that you're big, strong and brave as e as usual. ERIK Silverhielm, where the hell will this end? What are you e you going to do? SILVERHJELM Me? With this eye? Nothing. I just need to rest. ERIK You do understand I'll break free and will come after you. SILVERHJELM No, Ponti. You won't break f ak free. It was nice to chat in p n private. But I think we're ge e getting company now. SILVERHJELM Is everyone here? DAHL�N Everyone is veryone is here. SILVERHJELM Yes, first man comes forward. DAHL�N Come on now. ERIK You can say no to this. There's a hund a hundred of you! SILVERHJELM Yes, what are you waiting for? Do ? Do you want to join him? DAHL�N Next! SILVERHJELM Ponti, what's wrong? I thought you liked water. DAHL�N I said, come he e here. Pour it! Pour! SILVERHJELM Is it cold, Ponti? Tha ? That's not good in t n this weather. Who has Who has hot water? You ? You! Little guy e guy. Come on. There. That's hot. We want to make sure you don't catch a ch a cold. Pour it. ERIK Please. SILVERHJELM Pour it! ERIK Please. DAHL�N Pour it! SILVERHJELM Pour it! ERIK Please! Please! BERNHARD Damn it, Silverhielm. You're burning him! SILVERHJELM So cool o cool him down. DAHL�N Pour, Bernhard. BERNHARD You're in e insane. Get out of the way. SILVERHJELM Cold? SILVERHJELM