A DAY AND A HALF

Sweden, 2023, 94 minutes, Colour.

Alexej Manvelov, Alma Posti, Fares Fares.

Directed by Fares Fares.

This is a very interesting film on domestic violence, coming from Sweden, cowritten and directed by the Swedish actor, Fares Fares (born in Lebanon on but coming to Sweden with his family in his early years, a strong performance in Cairo Conspiracy). Fares also stars as the mediating policeman.

The day and a half of the title refers to a disturbed husband coming into a hospital to confront his wife, accusing her of infidelity, of taking his child from him. He creates a scene in the hospital, the police are called, he takes his wife hostage. This is a very strong beginning, the mad look of the husband, more revelations about his past and domestic violence, his infidelity with a Thai woman, his wife leaving him and sending their daughter to her parents.

The mediator is called in and he drives the couple, the husband pointing a gun always at his wife, first to her parents’ home to get the child, a violent confrontation with the racist father and condemning mother, then an attempt to get a plane to Albania from where the husband comes, then the possibility of a ferry to Poland.

Stories are revealed during the long journey, day and night, morning. The mediator, always in contact with the police, prefers to be a listener, suggestions, more gentle, telling his own story and his own failings – which does lead to a moving moment where the harassed husband offers his phone for the mediator to phone his young alienated son for his 13^th birthday.

In many ways, the film is quite calm in its presentation of harsh and violent domestic troubles, the role of the mediator as a listener enabling the violent man possibly to become calm. And he is able to mediate some possibilities for forgiveness and reconciliation.

1. The title, the timespan, the initial confrontation and abduction, the journey, the final resolution?
2. The Swedish settings, the hospital, the police, on the road, the various landmarks, the different countrysides, near the airport, near the ferry? The musical score?
3. The credibility of the plot, domestic violence, tensions in marriage, mental illness, infidelities, children?
4. Lukas, the police, the mediator, his style of intervention, no weapons, friendly, not confrontative, engaging in conversation, enabling expression of feelings, making judgements to avoid violence, driving the car, contact with the other police, speaking frankly? Listening to the story, care for the wife? Eventually telling his own story, his limitations, infidelity, his son’s 13^th birthday, the phone call? His psychological skills in dealing with Artan? Care for Louise? Taking the couple to Louise’s parents, getting the child, the interaction, the father’s racism, the violence? Eventually following the possibilities, the plane, government officials, the ferry? The issue of Artan and not being able to travel? Artan getting him to get the coffee, his standing and observing the finale? Looking at Artan, looking at Louise? A sympathetic character, with limitations, skills, and the tears after the phone call to his son?
5. Artan and his story, Albanian migration, in Sweden, his marriage to Louise, the birth of the child and his devotion, his not understanding or appreciating Louise, her physical health, mental health, dominating, his infidelity with the Thai woman? His arrival of the hospital, his state of mind, emotions, demanding, the gun, the receptionist and her businesslike manner and his terrorising her, pushing her to the floor? The others in the waiting room? His not being able to wait, with his number?
6. Louise, her story, work in the hospital, the pregnancy, after the birth, love for her daughter, her husband’s treatment, the fact that he had charges of violence against him, his infidelity, her taking the children to her parents?
7. The gun, the situation, trying to escape from the hospital, the hostage situation, the phone calls, the police, Lukas arriving, his reaction to Lukas, keeping the gun always on his wife? The desperation, wanting a plane, his demands, Lukas seeming to agree with them, the phone calls, the continual contact with the police, Zzrtan hearing this? The car, the cloth at the back, the bystanders, the media, speculation?
8. The long journey, the hours passing, Lucas driving, Louise at the back, always with the gun, Artan and his desperation, his eyes? The gradual unfolding of the story, Louise and her experience, point of view? Artan and his defence of himself?
9. At her parents’ place, getting the child, tending it, the discussions with the father, his attitude towards Artan, Louise’s mother, even more severe, denouncing her daughter? The fight?
10. The possibility of a flight? Permission granted? The possibility of the ferry to Poland? Moving towards the sea?
11. The contingent of police following, the national group? The cyclist giving the food through the window?
12. The discomfort of the trip, the cup for your own, hunger, tension?
13. The arrival of the ferry, Artan giving Lukas the phone to phone his son, listening to the phone call, Lucas and his tears? Artan, the move taught surrender, emptying the gun, throwing it out the window? Telling Lucas to get the coffee?
14. The final talking between Lucas and Artan, his getting out, the police swooping on him, taking him away?
15. A dramatisation of contemporary domestic violence?