In Your Hands (2004) ( Forbrydelser )

In Your Hands (2004) (DVD) (*)

~~$27.99~~ $24.98

Original Title: Forbrydelser
Screened, competed or awarded at:
Berlin International Film Festival
Other Film Festival Awards

Language Selections:
Danish ( Dolby Digital Stereo )
English ( Subtitles )
French ( Subtitles )

Product Origin/Format:
France ( PAL/Region 0 )

Running Time:
96 min + 83 min extras

Aspect Ratio:
Fullscreen

Special Features:
Alternative Footage
Behind the scenes
Documentary
Interactive Menu
Making Of
Photo Gallery
Scene Access
Trailer(s)

Movie filmed in 2004 and produced in:
Denmark ( Scandinavia, Iceland )

Directed By:
Annette K. Olesen

Written By:
Kim Fupz Aakeson
Annette K. Olesen

Actors:
Petrine Agger ..... Elisabeth
Jens Albinus ..... Carsten
Sarah Boberg ..... Jossi
Jens Zacho Böye
Trine Dyrholm ..... Kate
Benedikte Hansen ..... Lizzie
Helle Hertz ..... Jossi's mother
Ann Eleonora Jørgensen ..... Anna
Nicolaj Kopernikus ..... Henrik
Lars Oluf Larsen
Lisbet Lundquist ..... Nurse
Mia Lyhne
Luca Miceli
Luna Worsøe Mollerup ..... Luna
Kirsten Olesen ..... Prison warden
Mette Munk Plum ..... Aase
Henrik Prip ..... Doctor
Lars Ranthe ..... Frank
Marie Katrine Rasch
Sonja Richter ..... Marion
Jens Rosenberg
Pauli Ryberg

Synopsis:

Anna (Ann Eleonora Jørgensen of Italian for Beginners) has just been hired as the chaplain at a women's prison. Inexperienced, but compassionate and energetic, she begins to feel her way amongst the prisoners. Soon, a new prisoner, Kate (Trine Dyrholm of The Celebration), is transferred to the prison and causes a stir. Marion (Sonja Richter of Open Hearts), a junkie, has heard that Kate helped another prisoner get clean and goes to her when her fellow prisoner and dealer, Jossi (Sarah Boberg), cuts her off. Marion kicks heroin, and believes that the introspective Kate has healed her. When Anna gets wind of this, she goes to see Kate, but Kate doesn't want to talk to her. She's even a bit hostile, telling Anna to look after herself and the baby in her belly. Anna believes herself infertile after fruitlessly trying to have a child with her loving husband, Frank (Lars Ranthe). She's shocked to discover that she is actually pregnant, but her joy turns to dismay when she learns that the fetus may have a serious birth defect. Meanwhile, Henrik (Nicolaj Kopernikus), a mild-mannered guard, finds himself increasingly drawn to Kate, to the point of putting his job in jeopardy, while the ruthless Jossi, losing business, feels threatened by the strange new inmate. Writer/director Annette K. Olesen and co-writer Kim Fupz Aakeson made In Your Hands in the Dogme style, shooting on video at Nyborg State Prison. The film was shown at the 2004 Berlin International Film Festival.

Annette K. Olesen had her breakthrough with 'Minor mishaps' (2002) and continued her collaboration with writer Kim Fupz Aakeson, one of the most productive Danish writers, in 'In your hands'. As the theme in most of Aakeson's stories deal with death and how we deal with it, our inability to deal with it more precisely, this is more a Aakeson film, than a Olesen. In 'Minor mishaps', the children of a recently deceased father return home to deal with his death and in 'Aftermath', we follow the breakdown of a relationship and inability to deal with the death of their daughter. In 'In your hands', a newly educated priest takes on a temporary position as prison priest. Here she meets Kate, about whom is said, that she has spoken to God and can perform miracles. Meanwhile, a miracle by itself, Anna becomes pregnant, only later to discover, that her child carries a chromosome defect, which may cause severe defects. The story sets up a parallel between Kate and Anna. While Kate is in jail for having killed her child by accident, she left her child alone and to a starvation death because she was a junkie, Anna also becomes a killer, in the sense, that she chooses to get an abortion. Likewise, both are women of God. Where Anna intellectually has accepted God thru her education, Kate has had an epiphany. But where one is considered a freak and criminal, the other is considered normal and non-criminal. A major criticism of 'In your hands' is, that the story has so much potential which never is fulfilled. The characters are weak and the story is far from tight enough to carry its premise, and is weakened by several subplots, which may go to character, but ultimately removes focus from the central motif. Another point of criticism is, that it's a Dogme film. While Olesen may get some pseudo prestige by now being part of the Dogme family, she lacks skill and 'In your hands' is the weakest of the Danish Dogme films. What makes 'In your hands' interesting is its theme, which seems to be a trend in contemporary Danish film. The inability to cope with death or sickness has previously been seen in two other Dogme films, 'Kira's Reason' (2001) and 'Open Hearts' (2003), and also in the films mentioned in the introduction. We are so focussed on happiness and success, that failure and misery alienates us from life itself, and we become irrational. 'In your hands' was nominated for Golden Bear at the 2004 Berlinale.

This product was added to our catalog on Monday 26 September, 2011.

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