Martin Ringsmose

Kesse is a third generation fisherman, living in a small coastal town in Northern Jutland. Life trudges along without surprises, but all this is about to change. The fishing industry is hit by financial crisis and the small fishing boats are swiftly put out of competition by big corporations. In desperation, Kesse tries to find a way out of his hopeless plight and has to resort to dishonest means, on top of having to fire his best friend and lone employee. As if this wasn't enough, he gets an unwelcome guest on-board in the form of marine biologist Gerd from Copenhagen, sent to study the fishing. Søren Balle's debut feature is a funny and touching film about love, friendship and the difficult art of dealing with change.

In his new film, an intriguing and delicately crafted drama, Malmros portrays the poignant story of a man, who grew up in very modest circumstances in the early years of the 20th century, but whose diligence, intelligence and willingness to endure hardship helped him to become a leading brain surgeon. A success story on the face of it, but a story about a man - who is none other than the director's father - a man of powerful emotions. The film explores the nature and origin of the guilt that repeatedly deprived him of happiness.