Susanna

The story opens with Ole drunkenly returning to his first wife, Susanna and her sister, having been thrown out by his second wife, Nanna, whom has tired of him and moved on to a new relationship with a colleague. Nanna has a very tight prenuptial in place and Ole finds himself ruined and out on the street. The sisters allow him to overnight in the garden cottage, temporarily. Events lurch along in drunken escapades, unveiling the complicated relationships that can arise between men and women, between parents and children and lovers when exacerbated by alcohol abuse. There are touching scenes and moments of ironic humour that make this a lively romp through Copenhagen’s upper and lower economic strata. At base, Ole is charming, good humoured and is a gifted teacher. The one place he is fully at ease and can be himself is in a rowdy classroom surrounded with happy, questioning young minds. His kids at school are all cheering him on, but it seems their favourite teacher is on a fast downward spiral, going to the dogs. Susanna has dealt a cold hand, and sometimes destiny has a surprising card up her sleeve.