I AM HERE/ THE 11th HOUR

Denmark, 2014, 97 minutes, Colour.
Kim Basinger, Jordan Prentice, Sebastian Schipper, Peter Stormare, Anouk Wagener.
Directed by Anders Morgenthaler.

This Danish film is about a woman in middle-age (Kim Basinger) who is desperate to have a child having suffered many miscarriages. She fantasises about the child, hearing a voice calling to her? When the doctors say she has no hope of conceiving and her husband is reluctant to adopt, she hears about prostitutes in Eastern Europe with children for sale and decides to go to find one.

In the Czech Republic, she comes across Petit (Jordan Prentice), a dwarf who does casual labour whom she gives a lift to, his wanting a drug fix, her wanting him to find a baby. In fact, he does, bargaining with a 15-year-old prostitute and giving her money, bringing the baby to the woman. However, the Russian pimp (Peter Stormare) confronts the woman, takes the baby, treats the woman violently but is attacked and wounded. The woman rings her husband to discover that she has been absent for four months with everybody concerned about her. She does a pregnancy test – and an indication of what could be her future, with a child.

1. A story about a woman, ageing, marriage, wanting a child, miscarriages, her husband giving up, her desperation, to steal a child or pay for a prostitute’s child?

2. A Danish film, the Copenhagen setting, travel to the Czech Republic, the civilisation of Denmark, homes, business offices, contrasting with Eastern Europe, the roads, the prostitutes, the pimps and violence?

3. The visual style, the blurring at the opening, the focus of sequences, composition of shots, realist and surrealist? Maria and hearing the voice of the child talking with her? Musical score?

4. Kim Basinger as Maria? Age, experience, seeing her at work, business management? At home, her relationship with Peter? Love? The blood on the bed, the miscarriage? The discussions with the doctor, Maria’s refusal to accept that she could not have children? Peter giving up, not wanting to adopt, travelling, staying away from home, at a hotel? Maria going, pleading?

5. Her assistant, the work of the women, her hearing about the prostitutes, the children in Eastern Europe? Her determination to go? Driving all the way?

6. Her being out of place in this milieu, seeing Petit, dwarf, his work, on the road, picked up, his need for a fix, her arranging this, her asking him to find the
child, his reluctance? Going into the woods, her offering him the money, his agreement?

7. Petit, looking for the fix, finding the prostitutes, with a 15-year-old girl, the money, her wanting to have sex with him, his resistance, wanting the drugs, looking in the cupboard, finding the baby?

8. His discussions with the girl, her reluctance, offering the money? Taking the child, finding Maria, Maria being overwhelmed? Their driving, going to the hotel, his buying things for the baby, Marie attending the baby?

9. The arrival of the Russian, the confrontation, and his brutality? The girl present? Taking the child? Maria later finding him battered?

10. Maria and Petit, the money, his going on his way?

11. Her phoning her husband, the fact that she had been away for four months, the disappearance, everybody’s concern?

12. The irony, the treatment by the Russian, sexual assault (offscreen), her pregnancy test – and her future?