As It Is in Heaven by Niall Williams

今日5月18日、モーニング娘。第7代目リーダー新垣里沙は、10年と9ヶ月ものキャリアを収めアイドル界前人未踏の金字塔を打ち立てアイドル戦国時代の最前線から卒業していった。
　『as it is』(ありのまま)と題された本作はあくまで彼女のソロ映像集ではありますが、モーニング娘。新垣里沙の十年間を締め括る集大成となる映像作品です。
　スポットライトはロケ地沖縄の太陽。画面からの光を浴びているだけで、こちらまで日焼けしてしまいそうだ。
　彼女が第二の故郷と親しむ沖縄は、やはり彼女と波長が合うのだろう。BGMも映像にマッチしているのだが、いちど音声無しで鑑賞してみるとそれがよくわかる。ふりそそぐ陽射しの波長、そよぐ風や波打つウエーブとリズム、沖縄のエネルギーが彼女にチューニングを合わせ、陽気で優雅な音楽を画面一杯に奏でているのが聞こえそうな気がしてきます。
　眩しくよく瞬きを繰り返す彼女の眼差し。物憂げでありながらどこか恥じらうような流し目は、彼女がもう大人の女性なのだと語りかけてきます。
　洗いざらしのキャミソールが見目麗しいプロローグから始まり、海辺のシーンではビキニの背中がなんとも麗しい。すっきりとした肩胛骨が、天使の羽根の痕跡のように見えてくるのは私だけだろうか。
　後半は先行リリースされた写真集『ASCENSION』のメイキング映像が収められていますが、写真集の特典映像とは別バージョンが楽しめます。なかでも彼女の十年間を振り返るインタビューは、ファン必見でしょう。
　まるで彼女の魅力を逐一見逃すまいと、まるで愛でるかのようにスローなカメラワークは、誰もが夢見る恋人目線なのだろう。
　それに応えて、彼女はこの十年間を振り返るかのようにして幾度となくカメラを振り返る。彼女が歩んでゆく足跡を一緒に連れ立って辿っていくような、素敵な映像作品に仕上がっています。
　女優に転身する彼女は、いったいどこへ向かって歩んでゆくのだろう。

Film Review SAGF-1

(This review was originally published in the Swedish American Geneologist, December, 2008)

Så som i Himmelen (As It Is in Heaven), 2004, directed by Kay Pollak, DVD non-USA format, Swedish with English subtitles, Amazon.com $25.99 plus shipping.

Almost unknown in the US, this beautiful and heartwarming film from Sweden has been described by critics as one of the best Swedish films made in recent years and has been nominated for several awards in Europe. It was recently shown at the American Swedish Historical Museum in Philadelphia after our annual Semlor gathering. I quickly rushed to find a copy for myself to share with others. Regrettably, I will have to try and convert it to US format, or find a European format DVD player, to show it other than at the Museum. So unlike the popular fare being churned out by Hollywood, the film deserves much wider acclaim in the US among all moviegoers, not just Swedish Americans.

Taking place in a small village, Ljusåker, in the far northern province of Norrland, the story is about a small boy (Daniel Dareus) raised by a single mother, who has a talent for the violin but is bullied by local boys. He grows up to become a world-famous musician and conductor, driven by his talent and desire for perfection, to ill health and exhaustion. He returns alone to his little village to recover and rest, buying the now vacant old village schoolhouse to live in. The local people do not remember him as a child but know of his reputation as a conductor. Members of the small village church choir ask him to help them with their music, and he reluctantly agrees. His methods are unorthodox but the choir members come to love him. Others, including the Pastor, question his motives and methods.

The story unfolds to reveal how he affects all those in the village not only in their music but also to grow in their personal lives. All Daniel (played by Michael Nyqvist) ever wanted to do in life was to help people find their own voice, and he is immensely successful in doing so. The Choir, the Church, and the village are all transformed as a result of his presence. It is the rare film that is so moving that it can give one a lump in the throat almost from beginning to end.

Along the way, the Pastor has an epiphany, a battered wife gains confidence as a star soloist, a developmentally disabled boy is discovered to have a great bass voice, and many others face up to their talents and to the issues in their lives. And they create music to stir the heart and evoke God’s grace in fraternity and mutual love. Especially moving is the song that Daniel writes for Gabriela (Gabriela’s song), in which she gains confidence over her fears to sing in a Village concert. (Gabriela is played by Helen Sjöholm, who was the voice of Kristina in the Opera, Kristina fran Duvemåla). Other fine Swedish singers including Frida Hallgren, Andre Sjöberg, Ingela Olsson, and Lennart Jähkel, who perform as members of the choir. You will also hear other familiar songs beautifully sung, including “Amazing Grace” sung in English, and “Beautiful Saviour”, sung wonderfully in Swedish.

Try and find a way to see this memorable film. If you do not know Swedish, the subtitles will let you enjoy the film just as well. You will also see splendid photography of the village and the landscape in Norrland and a glimpse of village life in Sweden in modern times. As is common in Swedish films there are a few minor nude scenes, but not lascivious or offensive and certainly acceptable for teenagers and up. The Swedish habit of always portraying the clergy as flawed and hypocritical is also present in this film, but the overriding story of the power of love and grace in people’s lives more than makes up for this Pastor’s human failing.

Dennis L. Johnson
February 2009

I ordered this out of curiosity because I liked the Swedish actor Michael Nyqvist from the Millenium trilogy, and it was even better than I expected. Moving story and great music.

Lovely film, so sweet, where the characters are believable and look like people you might meet instead of Hollywood actors who can walk out of a model’s go see and every character is beautiful except the character actors. I cannot imagine anyone not enjoying it. Definitely recommend.

I’m very aware that I’m far from the target audience for this film, yet the writer in me indirectly influenced my interest in this film. Additionally, seeing one of the locations (Austria)pertaining to the movie plots of this film got my husband and I talking about the location as he has family members on his mother’s side who live in Austria. Additionally,I admit that I more or less decided to check out the film As It Is in Heaven because it was listed to be one of the films that Michael Nyqvist starred in as music conductor Daniel Dareus. The character of Daniel Dareus has a very difficult childhood before going on to achieve much music accomplishments. After coming close to death, Daniel Dareus ends up moving back to a small town in Sweden where he grew up and meeting church pastor Stig (Niklas Falk) . His life is changed even further when he is invited to help other various church members with their choir singing Lena (Frida Hallgren), Inger (Ingela Olsson), Arne (Lennart Jahkel), Siv (Ylva Loof), Gabriela (Helen Sjoholm). The lives of some of the church members are very dramatic to say the least . The character of Holmfridd (Mikhael Rahm) has to endure unnecessary taunting from fellow church goer Arne over his weight. Inger is married to Stig,loves him a lot, and she bravely confronts him about some of the vices he has as more of a loving way to try to help him see that he is harder on himself than necessary. Gabriela enjoys participating in the church choir but has to go through so much just to be able to do this because of the dynamics with her husband Connie (Per Morberg). Arne has a relative named Tore (Andre Sjoberg) who shows interest in joining the choir group one day and some of the other members are reluctant to accept him until Daniel helps convince them to allow Tore to join. Lena is the character in the group with a heart of gold who treats other people in a considerate manner yet she also has to endure much judgement from Siv who like Stig is harsher on herself than she has to be.