The Bench

In suburban Copenhagen, Kaj pays his daily visit to the bench. He's an alcoholic who spends most of his time with his drinking buddy Stig spewing a never-ending stream of moans and complaints, waiting to die. This pattern is interupted when Kaj becomes aware that the young woman moving into the building across the street is his daughter Liv, whom he hasn't seen in 19 years. Liv is a single mother with a six-year-old son, Jonas. She's just escaped from her abusive husband Lars and is forced to rent a single room for herself and her son in Kim's apartment. At first, Kaj does not reveal his identity to Liv, but the fates are at work as he is forced to take care of Jonas and a friendship blossoms between them. Given a second chance at life, Kaj must come face to face with his dark past.

This is a top, top film of social realism in Copenhagen, the fact that further down this bench were 15-20 such characters brought home the truth in this story. It is filmed in the "Dogma" (The Blair Witch Project) style that was pioneered/invented by Danish film students.

Let me know if any of you see/have seen it. It is part of a triolgy on class - this being lower/working class.