10 September 2006

Bhutan and After the Wedding


Today it's Sunday and the weather is nice. Sunny and around twenty degrees Celsius.

Among other activities in Stockholm today there is the so called Skeppsholmsdagen ("Skeppsholms-day").
Skeppsholmen is one of the small islands in Stockholm where The Museum of Modern Art, The Museum of Far Eastern Antiquities, The Photo Gallery and other institutions are situated.

This day they have an Asian festival.

Aurore and I visit The Museum of Far Eastern Antiquities contributing with - among other things - an exhibition about Bhutan.

A Swedish journalist and photographer visitied Bhutan during 2003 and 2006 where they tried to document the lives of ordinary (but often extraordinary) people during the current transition from a monarchy to democracy.
The two women where invited to the museum to talk about their experiences but unfortunately most Swedish don't understand that they have to be quiet and turn off their mobile telephones.
The exhibition and photographs were not particularly interesting. Not because of the subject in it self - Bhutan - but because they didn't tell me so much about this country as I hoped and as I guess was the intention. 

On the way to the museum, the busdriver drove past us without stopping at the bus stop telling us when next bus would arrive. The bus were not full. We caught him at Skeppsholmen and gave him a telling-off, reminding him that he worked with a service occupation.


After this it's film time: Susanne Bier; and her film Efter brylluppet ("After the Wedding"/"Efter bröllopet") with Mads Mikkelsen, Rolf Lassgård and Sidse Babett Knudsen
The film tells the story about Jacob Pedersen (Madsen), an aid-worker in India.
Pedersen is offered a great sum of money as a contribution to the work he is carrying out but in order to get hold of the money he have to visit Denmark to meet the billionaire and donor, Jørgen Lennart Hannson (Lassgård) to discuss the details around the donation.
When he meets Hannson's wife - Helene (Sidse Babett Knudsen) - he realizes that she's a former lover. She too recognizes him.
The daughter in the family is the real daughter of Helene Hannsson but the father turns out to be Jacob Pedersen. Complications.

A bit melodramatic we thought but a rather good script.

Home, dinner, private things and a good nights sleep!




(Photo map Bhutan taken from: http://smartraveller.gov.au/Maps/Bhutan.gif)
(Photo Bhutan taken from: http://www.infoaventura.com/fotos/Butan_02.jpg)

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