A week after Mother met Father, she won a camera in a lottery.
Father thought the camera should be his, as he'd bought the ticket.
Mother said if he wanted to share it, he'd have to marry her.
So they got married.
MARIA LARSSON'S EVERLASTING MOMENTS
My mother's name was Maria.
My father's name was Sigfrid, but he was always known as Sigge.
And l was christened Maja.
- Shall we go playing, Maja? - l can't, Ingeborg. Miss Öst is due.
- Here? - To our flat.
Miss Öst was my schoolteacher.
That she would ever come to our home was beyond my wildest dreams.
What splendid craftsmanship...
- Father did it. - What a talented father, Maja.
My husband used to be at sea.
Thank you so much.
- l brought a book to lend you, Maja. - Thank you, Miss Öst.
Maja has told me you enjoy reading together.
''Uncle Tom's Cabin.''
Please excuse me.
He comes the same man 'tis today
For our redemption we should pray
He comes the same man 'tis today
Stina, come over here...to Dad.
Come to Dad...
...COme On.
No... Leave her be!
No!
Let go! Let go!
With mercy's light we may repent
The sun, ne'er hidden, to us sent
Right. Now you've each got a picture of our old king, to remember him by.
This is our old King Oscar...
l enjoyed school more than anything.
Miss Öst was kind and wise and strict within reason.
l dreamed of becoming a teacher myself.
Does anyone have any questions?
Maja?
Did King Oscar hit his princes and princesses?
King Oscar only had princes, Maja.
But, if he had had small princesses-
-who had done something they deserved punishing for...
...then l think they would have been spanked a little by the king.
You could never be sure there'd be work in the docks.
But Father was so strong. If there was work, he'd usually get it.
Bloody bastards! Think you can treat us any old how!
Eh...? You swine!
Not a drop.
The courtyards were full of young, the buildings run-down, cramped.
Going to the privy, we'd stamp our feet to frighten the rats off.
But Mother always kept our flat clean and tidy.
She'd say: ''You see what you want to see.''
Mother's pride was her sewing machine. Second-hand, hire purchase.
She could make anything people ordered.
She charged 50 cents for a pair of trousers.
Would you like me to make you a fine coat, Miss Fagerdal?
No. l think not.
The place is never as neat-
-as when you cleaned here, Maria. Do you not wish...
- ...to start cleaning here again? - l have my children to look after.
Really? Isn't your daughter old enough to go into service now?
Maja...
Maja goes to school now.
Let me know when the lass is old enough. She shouldn't wait.
And Sigfrid Larsson.
He has been seen yet again intoxicated in public.
Almost everyone we knew was in the Spring Flower Temperance Society.
Each time Father broke his vow, we were barred.
Then we were allowed back... until the next barring.
Get the parting right, eh?
Do l look fine?
Sig...
- Signe. - Why does it say ''Signe''?
Well...
- ...they couldn't spell ''Maria''. - They got it a little wrong.
Right. Accordion, please, Ville.
Here, Father.
The Hulda he must join So to the port apace
the hearty seaman hurries and leaves his love's embrace
With tears upon his cheeks...
The Temperance Hall's two passwords were ''Freedom'' and ''Reconciliation''.
Reconciliation.
lf you didn't know which to use you weren't allowed in.
Reconciliation!
The password's meant to be kept secret...
Reconciliation.
Hallo, Mother.
Sigge!
Grandma loved Father...
...but we didn't love Grandma.
- Good evening, Maria. - Good evening, Mother-in-Law.
Say hallo to Grandma.
'Twas on the moors a little house a home of need no less
The husband was a drinking spouse The rest you'll surely guess
A night of bleak and chilling air Her spouse was not about
And in their home no food was there The fire had long been out
Oh tell me friend when this you hear would you embrace that thief:
the drink that robs a man of health and casts a home in grief?
See the web of Satan banned That dreadful vice abhor
lgnore the flask, take Jesus' hand Let goodness reign once more
No one could dance like Father. Mother said-
-that he could have won any heart he wanted, yet he'd chosen hers.
l was so proud of you tonight, Sigge.
Promise me now...
... never agai n .
- Never to touch a drop again. - Of course not, for Christ's sake.
l promise.
Stockholmer there, you deserve a right good swig.
No thanks.
''When l'd left the hills after a week with the watchmakers''-
-''my socialist opinions had taken root within me; l was an anarchist.''
''Anarchist''?
Here, Sigge, read that.
Yes...?
''Socialist...''
- Going out just as l get home? - Where else would we get money?
l don't want you cleaning for capitalist swine, d'you hear?
Where have you learned words like that?
''Words like that''? It's what l mean.
- Where's that Ville? - What is it?
Kalle got home, punched bloody.
- His trousers were full of piss... - Kalle started it.
Your lad's to have a thrashing, Mr. Larsson.
lt's me who brings up my young'ns. l'll have no gossips interfering!
- Did you do that? - Kalle started it.
l said: ''Did you do that?''
Kalle was saying bad things about you, Father.
Kalle said you were a drunkard, Father.
Ville was only trying to defend you, Father.
Sigge! Maja's done nothing wrong! Stop that!
No one ever died of a bit of the belt.
Oy...
...want a swig?
- Mother...! - Hallo.
Shut your mouth, you bloody Finn! Let my nippers sing!
Now then...that's quite enough.
For Christ's sake, can't a man have a bit of fun!
- The children have a Karelian angel! - Let them sing for the Captain!
l'll be no angel if you don't watch it!
- l've heard it before. - What's that?
- You don't always get the meaning. - Eh? What's he saying?
- Have a swig. - What's he babbling?
- The meaning of the words... - What's he saying?
- You lecher...! - ''My sweet lass is fairest of all''...
Listen, you filthy Finnish bastard! Stop your damned... !
Stop it! Stop it...!
Stop it!
Stop it! ! !
Here...take a sweet, both of you-
-and go and...look at the birds.
A canary...
Men are dreadful, whatever they do. But you can't move in here
with all your lot just because l'm saddled with your father.
Father...
lt's Sigge.
l can't be living with him any longer.
He promises again and again to stop drinking, but always breaks the vow.
- Could you help me financially...? - Remember, Maria...
...whom God has joined together-
-no one may put asunder.
- He hits me and the children. - You are to stay...
...with Sigfrid.
Until death do you part.
Let no one put asunder what God has joined together.
You must leave.
l am going home now.
Home...?
To Kristina.
Mother is dead, Father.
Precisely.
Lower it, for God's sake!
We're on strike, for Christ's sake!
Ah, here you are.
Well, Maria, your old man's going to be at home all day now.
We're on strike. We're going to show those bosses what we're worth.
- What we're worth? - Quite right.
What are we worth... with no money?
l'm not scrubbing for any more of them - every night l sit sewing.
Scrubbing for the gentry is going to stop now.
We'll be the gentry soon.
Here's someone who's quick as lightning and more than eager.
Not now, Sigge!
Am l to be kept in the bullock pen all year? Come on...
No! Leave me be.
Stop it!
STUDlO
No, Leo!
Leo, here!
Out!
l'm sorry - he's just a puppy.
Well, this camera...
...can anything be done with it?
- Be done? - l've had it a while. Is it alright?
Well, let me have a look.
Well...
lt's a good camera...a Contessa.
- Is there a plate in the holder? - A plate?
- There is! - Might it be worth something?
- Were you thinking of selling it? - Yes.
How much is it worth?
l'm not really sure.
lt's a good camera, but...
Leave it with me for a couple of days and l'll give you a price.
Oh... Right then.
Aren't you going to leave a name?
- A name? - So l'll know whose the camera is.
Oh...it's Larsson.
Mrs. Larsson. You don't sound as though you're from Sweden.
No. l was born in Finland, in Raivola.
Well... Pedersen's the name.
l'm from Denmark - Odense.
No, that's for you to keep.
- l see. - Oh, yes.
- Thank you. - Look forward to seeing you.
Mrs. Larsson!
Piff, paff, puff!
Come back tomorrow and l'll give you a price.
And we can see if the plate has registered your picture.
- Go home to England, blacklegs! - Go home!
- Get yourselves back to England! - Bloody idiots!
Go home!
Father wasn't one for politics.
But bringing a shipload of British strike-breakers to do his work-
-was more than he could take.
Don't take our bread!
Bloody blacklegs, go home to England!
Have a look at this now, Mrs. Larsson.
Just look at me...!
The picture has been affected a bit as the plate was so old.
l just don't see how a picture comes about.
May l ask for your hand, Mrs. Larsson?
Look.
There!
lt's a miracle...
l don't think you should sell this camera without even having tried it.
lf you have five minutes l'll show you how to use it.
- Best of luck! - Thank you.
Now, keep absolutely still.
Remember - not a word about this to a living soul.
- This is our secret. - What about Father?
No, not to Father either.
A miracle!
Three loaded holders...
...the red lamp.
Oh, Mr. Grevelius, this is Mrs. Larsson.
- Good afternoon. - Good afternoon.
And...developer and fixative.
But l cannot accept all these things. l have no money.
But you have the camera l am to purchase.
l'll take the camera as a deposit, but you are to look after it.
- Look after it? - You can use it.
We can deduct the plates and chemicals when l buy it.
l see...
Well...
They say things'll explode if we don't accept present wages...
- Kropotkin...you don't know of him? - No.
The anarchist, Prince Kropotkin who wrote this book.
No...!
There...
There you are...!
Those bloody black-cunts are snoozing onboard over there.
We ought to ram a stick of dynamite up their backsides.
Not the whole of your body is on strike, eh?
You're one! Jump up there.
lt's been a while since you had the chance, eh?
- What was that? - Christ knows!
What have they done!
- l've no idea. - They're out of their minds!
Christ...it's him!
Where have you been?
At the strike.
All night?
Last night...
...big things happened.
Rest assured... Big things.
Really.
You smell of perfume.
Perfume? Oh, no. It's dynamite.
l smell of dynamite.
Perfume!
One worker doesn't report another and that's that.
For a thousand kronor people would report...
What would you do it for? Ten thousand, eh?
A thousand kronor...
What couldn't you do with that money!
You...
- ...and me and Sigge junior. - No. Pull yourself together!
- Enough of that. - But what if?
lf you weren't so bloody daft you'd remember his name.
Then there'd be some point in your ''what if''.
Anton!
Anton Nilsson.
- Anton Nilsson? - Yes.
A thousand. There's always someone who can't keep their trap shut.
They've caught the murderer.
What bloody murderer?
The S.S. Amalthea man.
He's not a murderer.
One dead, seven injured.
Strike-breakers.
They're human beings, too.
''For carrying out the attack on the personnel-carrier vessel Amalthea''-
-''a suspect has been arrested.''
''The circumstantial evidence is considerable.''
''The detained man, Anton Nilsson, is a Young Socialist Party member''-
-''seen as one of the most fanatical.''
''Others are suspected of having been behind him.''
''An investigation is in progress.''
Where are you off to?
- Where is it? - Where's what?
- The money? - What money?
The thousand kronor bill. You've been and reported.
No. l haven't...
- Where is the money? - l haven't done anything!
Sigge! l haven't got a sou!
- Sigfrid Larsson? - Yes.
- Come with me, please. - What's this about?
l think you know.
ls it really worth making a fuss about - a little slap?
One dead, several injured. You call that a ''little slap''?
You think l was in on the blast?
l'm innocent.
- A constable saw you. - Sigge, what have you done?
Well, well...
Dalman is going to have to deal with the vermin here again.
lt's been a while.
- Dalman? - Yes...
...he'd better start sharpening his blade.
Does the name Tektor mean anything to you?
He had to take three swipes to get his head off.
Ouch...ouch...ouch!
But don't you worry. It wasn't Dalman on the job that time.
That's life...
A lot of singers we've got here.
Your accomplice opposite is singing his swansong, too.
But you've gone quiet.
Mrs. Larsson?
Yes?
What's your errand?
Just to say...don't be frightened.
- l don't understand. - No need to worry, Mrs. Larsson.
Your husband didn't blow anyone up...
...not the other night, at any rate. l can vouch for that.
Sigge...your husband... he walked me home.
There were Britishers around. It was dangerous. One thing led to another.
But you know, Maria...Mrs. Larsson... that he's more than eager.
Perhaps l should go to the police and talk to them.
What do you think, Mrs. Larsson?
Eat your food up now...
...Sigge lad. It'll give you strength.
What for? l'll not be given work just because the strike's over.
lt's a good thing you know that Matilda.
Bloody young'ns!
You can't behave like that in America. The police'll fetch you.
Aunt Tora's husband must have struck lucky in America.
He had sent tickets to her and all her children-
-so they could join him there.
- What's that? - A camera.
Form a group.
- Look at the camera. - Am l all right here, Maria?
- One, two, three! - Hurry up...
We've got to go onboard. Come along...
- Goodbye. - Bon voyage.
Wait. l'll have that, to help pay off our debt.
No! You're not to take it.
- It's already been pawned. - Pawned?
- At Pedersen the Photographer's. - Behind my back?
- Who's been going behind whose back! - You're bringing that up...?
Here.
lt was to be a Christmas surprise, but what matter now.
Well l'll be...
l took it.
You took it?
After the strike, Father was not given work at the docks again
but he was seldom out of work.
Wo there...
You handle both man and beast well, Larsson.
_lund will be leaving us soon...
...he's caught a bout of socialism.
But you don't suffer from that affliction.
No. Not me.
Thank you.
''Our Lord created the Smĺlander and made him witty, contented''-
-''diligent and clever, to achieve what he needed in his meager land.''
Good, Maja!
You go on, Ingeborg.
- Me, Miss? - Yes, Ingeborg. Stand up, please.
l...know...
Louder, Ingeborg.
...a country...on earth...
No!
Now then, children!
A good try, Ingeborg.
Please sit down again.
lngeborg... Ingeborg!
lngeborg!
God who loves us one and all Care for me who am so small
Where e'er l wander far and wide God be always by my side
Come joy, come not; yet from above God grants happiness in love.
Time to go to sleep. Goodnight.
There...
Dear God, bring Ingeborg back to life. Forgive me. Let her live again.
- Good evening. - Come in.
l was wondering...
...if you, Maria, might be able to photograph Ingeborg tomorrow.
To remember her by. l shall pay you for it, Maria.
Here you are.
l've never seen her so beautiful.
How much does it cost?
Nothing at all...
lt's in memory of Ingeborg.
May l keep this picture?
lt's just something l took first, before l took...the picture.
Not everyone is endowed with the gift of seeing.
Mrs. Larsson...
...if l keep this picture-
-you'll have paid for your plates and printing paper and cleared your debt.
Piff, paff, puff! That settled that!
We have so many clients these days, and now that my assistant's leaving-
-l was wondering perhaps...
...Mrs. Larsson, if you might like to start working here?
- Me? - Yes.
But l cannot.
My children, and...
Ah, Larsson... and your wife.
- You're expecting, l see. - Yes, Sir. Number five it'll be.
You can never have too many children as fine as these.
Borrow a wagon tomorrow and take the family for an outing.
Thank you kindly, Sir.
Mrs. Larsson, you can be proud of your husband.
Hope he handles his wife as well as he handles horses.
Good day. Thank you.
You appear to handle capitalism well, too.
- This is Maggie, bookshop assistant. - How d'you do.
l'm Sigfrid Larsson, former dock's rogue.
l'm Maria Larsson. How d'you do.
Don't give her that look, Sigge. Maggie is mine.
Well then... who do we have here?
Good day...
- Ville! - Come on! Come on!
- Ville! - Come on, Ville!
What did l say? l knew it!
Leo...heel!
Heel, boy!
Leo! Come on, boy!
lsn't Father coming home, too?
What are you standing there staring at? Go to bed!
Here comes your own flower merchant with a splendid array-
-all for his own sweet golden rose.
Here you are - all picked in meadows.
- And where have you been? - Up you get. Now for some fun!
Up you get! Bottoms up and down the hatch we go...!
- Mother, can't we ride, too? - No!
- And bring the camera... - We're off for a ride.
Let me go! Let go!
- Stop... Stop! - Don't drink, Father!
- Stop! - Stop... !
FIVE YEARS LATER 1 91 4
Good morning.
We moved from Malmö to Limhamn.
lt was moldy and all. But there was something we'd never had before.
Anna-
-Can yOU 90 OVer to the wall there...and press...?
There! Let there be light!
Accordion!
Father said, ''From now on, everything's going to get better.''
We had got two new siblings: Anna and Elon.
And now Ville had become the family musician.
Both Father and Ville had found work at the chalk pit.
lt was permanent employment.
Maja... - In you all come!
Don't touch!
Father was pleased to be called up.
World war couldn't be worse than the chalk pit.
Maria, can't you fetch the camera and take a picture, to remember us by?
l'm not sure where it is.
Englund...a picture of us. - Get the camera!
- Not in a capitalist uniform! - Hold the Mauser...
- ...Maggie'd like a picture. - l doubt it.
STUDlO
Can l help you?
Mr. Pedersen...is he not here?
The photographer is busy in the studio.
Could l assist you perhaps...?
Well, l'd very much like to speak to Mr. Pedersen.
l see.
There's someone out here Iooking for you, Mr. Pedersen.
Just a moment and l'll be there.
Mrs. Larsson...?
lt's been quite some time.
My husband wants a photograph of himself in uniform.
Uniforms are the rage this year.
- Mr. Pedersen! - Just a moment please, Captain.
l need printing paper, chemicals...
- Right. - Miss Petrén...
...would you pull the Brandenburg Gate out, behind the captain?
By all means. - Please excuse me.
So you still take pictures?
l haven't had the camera out since long before we moved.
- So you've moved. - To Limhamn.
There's the tram.
The number four...
Forgive me, but the captain can't wait any longer.
- It's almost five. l've got to go. - One moment, Captain.
Mrs. Larsson is one of our most esteemed clients, Miss Petrén.