UDEN FOR KAERLIGHEDEN (OUTSIDE LOVE)

Denmark, 2006, 105 minutes, Colour.
David Dencik.
Directed by Daniel Espinosa.

Outside Love is an unusual look at a dysfunctional Jewish family in Copenhagen. There are also glimpses of Muslims living in the area, especially migrants from Pakistan.

While the film focuses on the Jewish family and their tensions, it is also a kind of Romeo and Juliet variation with the young man from the Jewish family attracted to a shopkeeper, from Pakistan. This precipitates antagonism within the Jewish family, hostility from the Pakistanis as well as a need for some reconciliation.

David Densik is very good as the widower with a young son. The boy is also a very strong presence and one believes the relationship between father and son. However, the father has a dream to go to the United States, the land of baseball and Joe DiMaggio?. He even buys tickets and is to go with his friend coming out of prison, Weinberger (Nicolas Bro). However, a lot of circumstances intervene.

The father of the Jewish family has had a heart attack, is a good man but watches films about the Holocaust on television. His wife is much more angry, teaches Holocaust studies at a school in Copenhagen and plans a pilgrimage to Auschwitz. She continually blames her son for his behaviour as well as the effect on his father. Unbeknown to them, the younger son joins the Jewish Defence League, a proactive violent group which is involved in robbing the store of the Pakistani woman where the brother works.

The film has glimpses into Jewish life and manners and customs, rituals. However, while the film seems to end with the love between the man and the woman, it continues satisfactorily and the plot involves everybody meeting in Auschwitz - certainly a place for acknowledging the past but of reconciliation and hope for the future.

The screenplay was written by Daniel Densik, the brother of David Densik, the central character.

1. A film of cultures, religion, prejudice – from the 20th century into the 21st century?

2.The Danish settings, the poorer area of the city, homes, shops, schools, the police precincts? The road, the cemetery? An authentic feel? The musical score, the traditions of the Jewish and Muslim music?

3.Jews and Muslims in Denmark, the European Jews, their history, Israel and those who left Israel? Religious, orthodox or not? The Muslims from Asia? The talk of the Holocaust, of contemporary Israel, the Palestinians, the Pakistanis?

4.The experience of hostility, the memories of the Holocaust, the Holocaust school, the pilgrimage to Auschwitz, the Jewish rituals, the young and the Jewish Defence League, the robbery of Amina’s shop? The contrast with the Muslim uncles, their prejudice, the cousins? Amina and her fear that Schmuli working there would deflect business? The young groups and their brawls?

5.The film not having a real Danish context except language, workplaces, security guards, the kindergarten, jails, the car dealers, the police?

6.The introduction to Schmuli and Taylor, the mother’s illness and death, eighteen months passing, Schmuli and his grief, Taylor and his love for baseball, his American name, the comments and images of Joe DiMaggio?, baseball, the dream of going to New York? Their knowledge of New York? Schmuli as a middle-aged man, father, grieving, his sense of failure? Taylor and his age, bright, asking questions, memories of his mother, his love for his father, with the grandparents? Going to the kindergarten? At the security guard? The American dream?

7.The family, the father and his heart condition, at home, feeling that he was invisible, the high blood pressure, the meals, his watching Holocaust films on the television, his love for his wife? Rachel and her severity, obsession with the Holocaust, trying to teach Taylor, at the school, the response of the students, planning the pilgrimage? Her salary, unwilling to give Schmuli a loan? Schmuli and his being looked down on, the contrast with Jonathan?

8.Weinberger, getting out of jail, the friendly type, his criminal record, the plan to go to America, Schmuli and his bargaining for the tickets, the standby from Budapest, fourteen days? Going to inspect the various cars to take them there?

9.Schmuli and Taylor, picking him up from the kindergarten, taking him to his security job, Taylor letting the owner in and being blamed for lack of security, letting terrorists in? The boss and his bigotry?

10.Amina, the Pakistani background, Schmuli buying the milk, ordinary, their friendship? The building up of the shop, advertising the job, Schmuli and his application, her fear of losing business, the uncle and his prejudice? Schmuli working at night, the shelves? Staying the night, Taylor staying? Taylor and his liking for Amina?

11.Amina and her story, Pakistani background – and her love of cricket and Imran Khan? Her parents’ death in the car crash? Coming south, building up the shop to a success, needing help? Careful? An independent woman? The attack and the robbery, Schmuli telling the truth about his brother, loving Schmuli, his disappearance?

12.Schmuli and his self-image, poor, talking about his sadness? His mother’s antagonism? The grandparents taking Taylor? His disappearing, being with Weinberger?

13.Weinberger and the car, the trip, going immediately, talking and driving, Taylor thinking about staying, the return? Amina taking him back?

14.The father, the reconciliation with his son, not blaming him for turning in his brother? Going to work, enjoying it, the heart attack, his collapse and death?

15.Schmuli and his return home, grief, reconciliation with Jonathan? His mother blaming him? Washing the body, the ceremony, the funeral?

16.His mother’s ultimatum to Schmuli about Amina? His leaving, Taylor going with him? Taking his father’s box of nail clips? The plan to take them to Auschwitz, a way of connecting with his generation and their suffering? Proposing the plan to Amina, the decision to go to Auschwitz? Getting Weinberger to mind the shop? Trusting him?

17.The trip to Auschwitz, the three going into the camp, seeing his mother with the tour group, with Jonathan? Talking, Amina and the reconciliation? The ceremony with the nail clips, Auschwitz as a place for reconciliation, ceremonial?

18.The importance of the past, memories and the effect of the Holocaust? Yet the new generation, different memories? And breaking enmities?