EENY, MEENY, MINY, MOE
and pupils from class 6C et.al. in Sorgenfri school in Malm
In you go!
Manuscript
Adapted on the novel "n sjunker" by Clas Engstrm
Directing-Photo-Cut
And now he closes the door.
Good morning.
Good morning, sir.
Sit down.
The Lord is my shepherd,
I shall not be in want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters.
he restores my soul.
He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
"It is told in the Bible"
"that Peter and Jesus once had
a conversation with one another"
"and then Peter said to Jesus: ..."
... dwell in the house of the LORD my whole life long.
You in the first row please will you distribute these.
Don't forget to not give... I mean don't forget to give ...
- The denominations.
- Yes, don't forget to give the denominations.
And remember ... No whispering.
Anyone who whispers must hand over his test paper at once,
and he will fail.
If anyone has anything to ask, do it now!
OK, you can begin.
Do we have to give the denominations?
Do listen, will you. I just told you that.
Yes, you must.
For how long can we keep on?
It's written on the paper.
Pardon, what's up?
What did I tell you?
What's up with Monika?
Huh?
Don't you feel well?
Anyone is whispering?
Was it Jan? Per-Arne?
Is it Anita?
Who whispered? Tell me ...
Don't mess with that now.
Mikael you can hand over your math test immediately.
Please.
- Go ahead the rest of you.
Put it on my desk.
- I was just borrowing his eraser.
Dont you hear? Hand over your math test, you bloody brat!
I was just borrowing his eraser.
Just for once, I try to be consistent.
And it all ends up as a failure.
- No gravy, please.
- Why?
Gravy is delicious.
- Not too much of the fish.
Not too much? But fish is so very healthy.
- You are scanty with the gravy.
"Scanty with the gravy." What talk is that?
Well, here you are then.
You dropped your fish, Tommy!
Leave it! Don't pick up food from the floor.
- Fish!
- And my mother has said that I mustn't eat that, the girl said.
- But if you tell her to try, she must try.
No she started crying.
Those are your sweet kids.
Silence!
You must be silent!
Make these children be quiet. They are awful.
"Higher; a bit higher still."
"That's better."
Look here, you ought to see this.
"This is how a life begins; a life in this world."
- Do you have to work with those books every evening?
- "before she should deliver it did start 38 weeks ago."
I never said that one should not have children.
But neither is it obvious.
Before our marriage, you asked me
if I would like to have a child with you.
But I have already explained all that.
It was a quoting from literature.
So that was nothing but idle talk?
"By then hundreds of millions of sperms were on the march."
It was just empty words then?
At that time I meant what I said but ...
You just wanted to go to bed with me, as all men do.
But you don't have the guts to say it.
At least at that time you had a desire.
- "Sperms are fast swimmers; no less than 10 to 20 cm/hour."
- You didn't really want to marry me.
- "Not very imposing you say"
-"but if they were humans"
"that would equal 100 lengths in a 50-metre pool."
- I'm not an intellectual.
That's possible. Mmm ...
Possible. That's possible? What kind of talk is that?
Don't start this all over again, damn it.
I'm dead tired.
I have so bloody much to do that I won't cope.
I think I'll have to get rid of my guitar.
Do you want to have a little child with me?
What?
Well, it was just a joke.
It's a literary quote I read somewhere.
- How many children do you have?
Two.
Frankly I'd like to have many more.
Children are wonderful.
Why do people have children? For the child's own sake?
And what does the not-yet-begotten child want?
Does it want to attend elementary school?
Become a professor?
Have a supplementary pension?
Never have to be scared. Does it want to sleep?
Why don't you have children?
Because I'm fearful.
Don't you have class at this hour?
I'm on my way for the swimming-hall with the children.
And you?
Well, my kids have woodcraft,
so I'm free from the creeps at the moment.
Aren't you going draw something you as well?
I cannot.
O yes you can. Have a go.
A nice variety you have there, not bad at all.
It makes room for ... for imagination.
Shouldn't you sit down for a while and paint, Bengt?
I cannot paint.
O yes you can.
Make a test painting. Just make some colour strokes ...
Yes, that one is finished.
Like the one Mikael has done; just some vivid colours.
Finish that one and then paint a bird.
What is that supposed to be?
You are crazy!
Sir!
Look what Bengt has done. He's so darn peevish.
Apologize to her.
Go to your place. Go to your place!
Go and sit down at your own desk.
Bloody hell.
What are you saying?
What did you say?
WHAT DID YOU SAY?
Go and sit down.
And make something!
Do you hear me?
Dip your paintbrush in the ... in the cup immediately!
And paint something!
Dismissed.
Bengt, you remain.
Hurry up.
And what about us now? Eh?
It's just as awkward for me this incident.
What would you have done in a situation like this?
Eh?
Wouldn't you have told me to apologize?
Do you think that I treat you incorrectly?
Do you think I'm unfair? Eh?
What do you say; shouldn't we try being friends after all?
And be on civil terms?
I'll go half way and you'll go half way.
Eh?
Well then, let's forget all about this.
Agreed?
Let's forget about this. Now you can go.
Go now and join the others.
See you, Bengt.
I said see you, Bengt!
"One is raising the alarm."
"Its warning call is transmitted
all along the rock-face."
"A lone razorbill is listening
and turns its eyes to the sky."
"It would be natural to think that the guillemots
should unite and chase the gull away"
"but instead they act as if paralyzed."
"With experience inherited through centuries"
"they yield to the most persistent of all scavengers."
That's it.
Now class 6D will leave the room while 6C stay behind.
Gather the chairs together when I give the command.
Pick up the chairs nice and neatly.
- Sir. Sir.
- Attention! I said nice and quietly.
Sir...
Should they be pulled up or be left as they are?
Stop it, will you!
Everyone not told to stay, leave!
I told you to leave.
Wait a second, Ann-Mari. I'll take care of that.
That one is a bit tricky you see.
- Yes, that one is troublesome.
- It gets stuck sometimes.
There, an extra push.
Thanks for letting us attend this class.
Thank you. I should thank you.
It was so nice of you to join us.
That machine gives me the chill.
I constantly fear that I'll tear the film to shreds.
How do you manage really?
Manage what?
With your class.
You clearly see the difference between yours and mine.
Well yes.
Have you ever given the proper boy
the proper smack in his face
at the proper moment?
No ...
No, classes differ from each other.
There's nothing to be done about that.
I cannot be consistent at a certain moments.
I don't know; maybe I'm too weak ...
I slacken in the crucial moment.
Modern research bears in mind what goes on
within a person that acts in a special way.
It's turning into some other kind of ...
well modern religion that one has to take into account ...
Shouldn't you be on duty today?
Pardon?
Aren't you on the duty roster today?
Come and let's sort this out, will you.
Did you take the cap?
No.
They were fighting.
- Were you fighting?
- No ... We were playing.
He's lying.
He did take it.
Did you take it?
He could have lost it.
No, he did take it!
Then Ivan picked it up.
What do you say, Ivan?
I put it on the fence.
But now it's not there.
- Bengt, who took that cap?
- I don't know.
I tell you, he took it.
- Move along now and let me sort this out.
- Just a second, please.
Where is the cap, Bengt?
Kent must have his cap back.
Otherwise, you'll have to buy him a new one...
...and that's final.
Eh, you know, boys will be boys.
Yes, but someone should have a smacking to remember.
Sir!
Kent found it!
Found what? ... 'The hole'?
NO!
Push him into the water!
Hey, teacher's coming!
This way. Hello! This way.
No, you mustn't touch any of the exhibited objects.
Absolutely not!
Come here everybody!
Stop that, Bengt. Stop it.
Come here and listen
It is a bit old fashioned and baroque shaped.
Do you still see that it is decorated in a rococo manner?
And do you see all the flowers and the rippled frame?
Now you can see that flowers and nature
were really up-to-date in the 18th century.
Can I have your attention, please?
Look at this little girl.
You can see how
abundantly she is decorated with flowers, all over.
"Are you prepared to attend a ball at my home?"
she seems to say.
"You can all see how smartly we are dressed up."
"We come all dressed up in silk,"
"and I wonder if you can hear the rustling from all our silk."
"Here we enter our dining room,"
"and to not bore you,
I will bring forth a little orchestra."
Are we allowed to stay behind to have a second look?
Have you ever spotted such an animal in the woods?
O my, how cute it is!
They are fighting for the prey you see.
It's got exactly the same thumb as I've got.
- This is a gorilla.
Right, this is a gorilla.
You can see that on its face.
- O, how mighty fine teeth he's got.
- Wow, a newborn human baby.
So beautiful his teeth are. No fillings, eh?
He has probably never eaten any sweets.
Or could it really be genuine teeth?
Look here. It has got some hair.
Have you seen this Olle?
Mtensson.
Yes, how do you do, Mrs Persson?
Really?
Yes.
No, of course they are not allowed to do that,
but it's quite impossible to supervise them every moment.
And by the way ...
Of course I'll talk to Bengt, yes I will.
No, they are not allowed to do that, but ...
But Jane could also have ...
May I be excused?
Good morning children.
Good morning, sir.
Be seated.
I only wish to have a peek in the class register.
Well you know ... it's the same old story, the background,
foster parents,
his mother having younger children
and doesn't care about him.
He simply ruins the whole class, like a venom.
Well ...
Is it true that you fight with the kids?
A report about that has been sent
to the local education authority.
Honestly, what did you do?
I don't pay any personal attention to it.
I assume that you deal with whatever you have to deal with,
in accordance with your own judgement
But a bad reputation always undermines, so to speak.
Not least among the children.
If a kid says "My dad has told me that my teacher is no good"
then ... then that is no good.
You ...
It might be a good thing to summon a parent-teacher meeting.
Arrange something nice an evening and talk to them.
I think that might ease ...
this atmosphere ... that has arisen.
Well yes, that might be an option. You might be right in this.
Let's agree about that.
Give my regards to Gunvor.
Yes, I will thank you.
Well, perhaps I'd better ...
better mention.
We are in the midst of a transit period.
On the one hand we have the authoritarian, old fashion school;
an autocratic school almost,
on the other we have the new, more democratic school.
We teachers are facing a big dilemma by this.
We are standing with one leg in the old system
and with the other in the new one.
We cannot get around that we are human beings
and that we still make all kinds of mistakes,
already done in times before us.
We become too authoritative.
The children demand ...
demand total justice; that we should be impartial,
that we shall treat everyone in exactly the same way.
In my point of view ...
if I'd treat everyone alike
then I'd look upon myself as a villain.
In my opinion every child should be treated
in accordance with its own conditions.
A major part of the time I spend in the classroom
is set aside to give the pupils
some basic rules of democracy.
Maybe I'd better make a halt here.
Sir, speaking of the political... of politics;
as far as I can see it.
that is not a subject for children 11, 12 and 13 years of age.
In due time they'll learn about democracy and dictatorship.
I'll have to ask you;
is it really necessary to get 20 sums for homework?
We must have in mind
that they are on the eve of entering Upper school.
We must consider their proficiency.
It might be a disturbance for them
to be treated too democratically.
Maybe we should follow a slightly stricter line.
I do think that ... that other parents here would agree.
For instance, if the children will sell 'May-Day-flowers'
or flowers to benefit the blind;
some of them accept to sell 50 or 100 flowers.
This causes those who are not born salesmen
to accept the same amount.
And this often causes the parents to have to step in
and be helpful with this flower business.
And they aren't really listening at the morning assemblies
more than on Fridays.
Shouldn't we more eagerly stand up
for the Christian values and ...
Regarding corporal punishment, I too am against it, but ...
sometimes we have to face a situation
that becomes too much to handle.
I deeply regret
if that could lead to violence and aggression.
I just want to say one thing;
we had a teacher who was extremely strict.
He was strict enough to use caning as a means.
He whacked us in the neck and in other parts.
But I must admit, we suffered no harm by that,
and we were taught good manners!
I think that all of us parents also must consider
the situation for the teacher.
A vigorous class could be troublesome to handle.
Soon there wont be one single week or month
without some kind of collection
for the benefit of one person or another,
or a country of some kind.
I only want to make it clear; I didn't have
caning or slapping in mind.
But the pupils must realize ...
that it is the teacher who sets the rules; easy and clear.
And fair!
Then sir, I'm sure you'll realize
that everything will run smoother,
and you'll get along better with the pupils, sir.
Pick up your songbooks.
Sir, let's sing 'The Flower'?
No, nr 213, sir.
Silence. Hush, hush.
Be quiet! Pick up your books and see page 44 ... 42.
Kjell, you go to the blackboard.
Point at the notes when I'm playing.
Use your hand.
Pick up the pointer again.
You devilish bastard!
Now I have had enough.
What did you say?
Who do you think you are?! Eh?
You're not even humans.
Pick up your exercise books; exercise nr 145.
One four five.
Ejnar gives you his regards.
Oh.
What?
He just gives you his regards.
Well yes.
Now you have given me his regards.
Shall I send him yours?
No, I don't think so.
He is a good teacher, isn't he?
He has ...
It's an easy matter for him.
When he raises his voice, the class is quiet. But when ...
I ...
I'm unable to ... I don't have ...
Well, couldn't you at least pretend?
It might help.
Dammit, what a gross picture.
Did you see it? Look!
I'm in for it.
Is there any tea left?
Do you want some?
No thank you.
I'll have some.
Well then, good night.
Yes, good night.
"Saint Lucia, Saint Lucia."
"In homes with dark at sight,"
"enters with candle light,"
"Saint Lucia, Saint Lucia."
Thank you very much.
How nice of you. Thank you.
Do you want some too?
Would you like a bun?
Not?
Yes, please.
Have you been in many houses?
Nice children you've got.
This is better than if I'd dressed up, not?
Can I have some more?
Have you been at other people's homes too?
No.
Don't you want to sit down?
Oops!
"Night paces heavily, round farm and cottage"
"in sun forgotten lands, shadows are lurking."
"In homes with dark at sight,"
"enters with candle light,"
"Saint Lucia, Saint Lucia."
"In homes with dark at sight,"
"enters with candle light,"
"Saint Lucia, Saint Lucia."
Night is so deep and still, hear all the rustling
in every silent room, whispers from wings.
Lo! Stands on threshold brow
white clad with candle crown
Saint Lucia, Saint Lucia.
Boys, calm down a bit, will you.
No running up there!
"LADIES"
Neither into the ...
Gather round me!
Tell those in the shower, will you!
Gather round me.
Tell those in the shower!
Attention everybody.
Those of you who cannot swim, you stick to this pool.
The others can swim for a water skills certificate,
and those kids must keep within these red rubber bands.
Is that clear?
And the cafe is forbidden area. Is that clear?
Yes.
Can we go in the water now, sir?
Pardon?
Can we go in the water now, sir?
Yes.
Yeah! Watch me!
That's right. Nice and easy. Long and steady strokes.
You are leaving one strand of hair here.
That's enough.
Hurry up will you.
Are you longing for summer, longing for summer?
Don't throw snowballs like that. Do you hear me?
I don't know who is throwing snowballs,
but cut that out will you.
Cut it out!
Now you walk ahead of me!
Hurry.
Walk ahead of me ... Come on.
You really had a good time in the park today, eh?
When you threw snowballs with pebbles at me.
What have I done to you? Have I done anything to you?
What offence have I committed? Being a teacher?
And that I have feelings?
I know that school sucks,
but you have never been grown ups.
In due time you'll get to know what that means.
Don't make faces at me do you hear?
I do try being a good sport.
I do try my very best.
So I think you could give a little something in return.
Pick up ...
I strongly dislike acting like this.
I really have to say that,
but sometimes you can face a situation
when you have to.
Maybe you'll come up here and hold class instead of me.
Eh?
Open your books and get page 173 and ...
we'll start working with those tasks.
And no babbling!
If anyone wants to ask something,
you put up your hand.
Can I sharpen my pen?
Go ahead.
- Well?
- May I pick up my book?
- Yes?
- May I ask Lena if I can borrow her eraser?
I dropped a strand of hair may I pick it up?
Enough!
I don't want to hear the slightest sound!
One tiny peep from someone and I'll throw him out.
May I borrow the key to my classroom,
because I've left my bag behind?
Pardon?
Would you please unlock the door, sir,
because I've left my bag behind?
So you want your bag ...
In which classroom do you dwell?
Over here.
The umbrella, the umbrella, the umbrella!
Yes hold it right there. That's it!
And now hold the umbrella above you. That's good.
Be still, still, still. How nice.
How nice. Put your mind on the clothes.
Stretch down you knickers a bit.
That's good. How nice.
Stretch out a little.
And put your foot a bit outwards.
Good. That's good, Gunnel.
Yes, very beautiful. Mind your hair. How nice.
Keep still. Bend oven a little to the left.
The light is so beautiful now.
Be still, absolutely still.
I only want ...
Move an inch in that direction.
Yes! Yes! Yes! How nice.
It so beautiful right now. Stretch the skirt a bit.
And hold the umbrella upwards a tiny, tiny inch higher.
Be still. And now turn some degrees in the other direction,
towards the light, a tiny, tiny bit. How nice.
No, leaning forwards is much better. How nice.
And now hold the umbrella in the other hand.
Hey, the fringe; pull it forwards a tiny, tiny, tiny bit.
And fully calm.
And change the position of the foot.
How nice. Wait a second; I'll just raise it a bit.
Are you cold?
How nice.
Wow, how beautiful! Very good.
Just move around a tiny, tiny bit more.
How nice. Just a moment,
I'll switch to the other cassette.
Can you carry on a bit more?
Yes, it's too darn cold.
A little longer, eh? OK, good.
No, to that direction. That's nice, very beautiful.
Bend your head. Yes. No, the other direction. Too much!
And pull your hair forwards, yes, forwards.
And don't move.
Yes, that's very nice. Thank you!
You are fabulous.
Sren!
Hello!
Hello! How nice to see you. You haven't changed a bit!
I haven't? Well, neither have you.
I've been shouting here all day long.
It was amusing to watch to work.
It's so cold, but the girl suffers more.
What are you doing this far out?
Well, I'm just walking around.
Are these from China ... Japan?
It's from Hiroshima.
I took it many years ago.
- I see.
- Some 12, 13 years ago.
You travel a lot, don't you?
Yes, I like to move around.
Please, do excuse me if I'm poking with my cameras.
By all means.
You see, next week I'm going away on a documentary trip to ...
eastward ... to Soviet.
I see!
Three months.
I'm just checking the light meter.
You have an exiting life, haven't you?
Well yes, there are new views every day,
but that could be pretty tough sometimes.
I'd have appreciated if I could stick
to a more strict routine.
What about you? You are ... a teacher, aren't you?
Yes.
I'd never have imagined that.
No, but there are lots of things
you never could have imagined about yourself ...
Teaching is really an important job,
to distribute knowledge.
That must be wonderful.
How are you getting along with it?
Well yes ...
Say ...
Do you mind if I steal a look into this?
By all means no. Please do.
That one is a draft for a book
I intend to publish if possible.
My big issue is that I ...
I side with the pupils ...
against myself.
The fact that you can see things from ...
both sides ...
might be why matters seems ...
to becomes more tricky for you than for others.
But what about you? You ...
For me life is a constant race.
I always have to find something new, new, new!
At the same moment I've mastered a new skill
I simply have to do it in another way.
You are establishing things.
You work with the foundation,
whilst I work upstairs trying to make embellishments.
Mrten-Trten.
You called yourself 'Trtan' at school. Why?
That was not me.
You were much brawnier when you were young.
Every time we had a tussle ...
I was in fact a bit scared of you.
Do you remember these? Eh?
O no, that one's for me!
You were always so swift.
Mind my cameras! Look behind you!
Now I will give you
I give up! I give up. The victory is yours!
You are the victor, the victor.
No, no, stop it!
Quiet!
- Don't you have class now?
- No!
He's out drinking some water.
Why do you keep on?
I'm waiting.
For what?
For my retirement.
But there must have been occasions when you ...
When I've had ambitions?
Yes, as a matter of fact there were.
But that was quite some time ago.
Your move I think.
? O yes.
May I sharpen my pen?
Could you get it in?
Get in what?
The dick.
Class terminated! You are dismissed.
Take it easy!
Sit down. You stay put.
Lay down at the door
so that I can see you though the key hole.
Well, Jane.
What do you have to say about this?
Was that a nice thing to do, do you think?
Is that a proper word to come out with?
Say something.
Well then, let's go home
and discuss this with your mother.
She's not at home.
Then we discuss it with your daddy.
He's not at home either.
No problems,
we'll wait there until any of them comes home.
Come on. Don't fuss.
Let's go.
Please, sir,
I promise never to say a thing like that anymore.
As long as I don't tell your parents?
Well then, I won't.
But there's one thing I want you to understand.
There are things in life you must try to ...
try to keep ...
clean ...
shining,
things that cannot bear to be stained.
Off you go.
Monika, jump up here.
You shall stick to the yellow ribbons.
And then ... should someone go astray,
try to return the same way.
Keep the ribbons in sight.
Don't enter the woods without having a ribbon in sight!
Nice. Thanks.
- Is there more?
- Yes.
- Yes. Cheese or sausage?
- Sausage.
Strange so ... so far away everything seems to be.
I wonder about the cause for one's worries;
for one's troubles?
Yet you know that it's always there for you;
you have to return to it.
If it was able to ...
to keep that enthusiasm you once had ...
when you entered your career.
The ambition was to ...
to participate in creating the world.
Now you're going to ...
You ...
fail ... you fail ...
when you're standing in front of them,
then all the theories fall apart.
You cannot hide anywhere. You ...
have to cope.
Tell Mr Eriksson to call an ambulance, quickly! Hurry!
Murder. Murder. Murder! Murder! Murder! ...
Gunvor. Are you asleep?
Gunvor.
It's me.
Whats the matter?
I had a nightmare.
Satan! To hell with school.
I always wake up with this bloody,
nervous stomach-ache.
It's the same every morning.
Im frightened to enter the classroom.
I'll let the pupils do what they want.
I don't give a damn.
I can't take it any more.
You make everything too knotty.
Do I make it knotty?
What should I do then?
Eh?
I don't know.
You'll have to make it simple.
Make it simple? It's not that simple.
Ejnar says that you ...
that you must empty your thoughts on yourself.
You shall only BE yourself.
What the heck does that mean really;
to be yourself?
Well, if you are born like me
you'll have to face that fact.
If you're focused, then it doesn't matter
if you close your eyes
or not. You know if you're alert.
- Eh?
- Yes.
What happened to that ... boy on the schoolyard?
I don't know.
His condition is said to be critical still.
Eh ... do you honestly like children?
Yes I think so; one at a time.
Mostly I pity them.
But when they're wicked ... then I hate them.
Never mind.
I don't differ from people in general.
It's not a matter of giving you a personal reprimand.
You understand that.
You are not to blame that an accident could take place.
The major issue is the difficulties with
how to supervise the children on the schoolyard.
A thing like this must never happen. It must never happen!
You understand that.
And in the bitter end,
the full responsibility rests in my hands ...
and on the school.
That's all.
Give my regards to Gunvor.
I heard she's on her way to Stockholm.
Do you have any money ... and some place to stay?
Yes, thank you. I'll be fine.
- I can take that.
- No.
I'll be fine.
You shouldn't run that far out!
Do you hear me? You must not swim in deep water.
Help! He's drowning!
You are not allowed to swim that far out!
You are not allowed to swim in deep water!
Didn't you hear what I said?
You mustn't be this far out!
Don't you hear what I say?
You must stay close to the pier.
Stop it! ... No ... You mustn't ...!
Enough!