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Plot summary for

S som i himmelen (2004)
A successful international conductor suddenly interrups his career and returns alone to his
childhood village in Norrland, in the far north of Sweden.It doesn't take long before he is asked to
come and listen to the fragment of a church choir, which practises every Thursday in the parish
hall. Just come along and give a little bit of good advice. He can't say no, and from that moment,
nothing in the village is the same again. The choir develops and grows. He makes both friends
and enemies. And he finds love. Written by Sonet Film

Daniel (Michael Nyqvist)is a renowned conductor, who suffered a painful childhood in his native
town of Norrland. There, Daniel was bullied by his school mates, while he was trying to develop a
musical career with his mother support. Now, as a conductor, Daniel is very temperamental and
has an intolerant character with his musicians as well. He also has a strange condition, which
makes him bleed from the nose. After a concert, he has a heart attack. Despite Daniel has
professional commitments for the next 10 years, he decides to return to Norrland and make an
indefinite retire. In Norrland, Daniel sets in the old and abandoned primary school. The local
reverend asks Daniel to work as the church choir's conductor, formed by all kind of villagers, with
all kind of problems. Daniel first task will be to teach the choir members to find their own voice
tone, and the musical basis. Lena (Frida Hallgren), a charismatic girl, will call Daniel's attention
immediately. But Daniel will have to struggle with other problems in the choir, like, a woman who
is beaten by their drunk husband, and the prejudices of some members, whom think that Daniel is
more interested in Lena than in the choir. However, the envious reverend will begin to feel
relegated by Daniel, and will take seriously the accusations about he and Lena. Daniel will have
his chance to prove the contrary, taking his group to an important contest, taking place in Viena,
Austria. Written by Alejandro Frias

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0382330/usercomments

IMDb user comments for

S som i himmelen (2004)
56 out of 65 people found the following comment useful :-
Wonderful, inspiring film that touches important themes, 29 January 2005
10/10
Author: Rob from United States

I really loved this movie and so did the audience that I saw it with in Los Angeles. After the film,
lots of people were crying and saying how much the film had affected them. I can see why it was
such a huge hit in its homeland, Sweden. The film is masterfully directed and each character
brilliantly drawn so that by the end you really know these people and care about them. The music
is very natural and the main song in the film quite heartbreaking but inspiring. Would definitely
recommend this film for everyone to see - even people who don't normally go to subtitled films.
Definitely deserved the Oscar Nomination because of the profound themes of the film reflected
without pretension in a small-town community with everyday people. It is a film that unites us in
this divided world and shows us the potential of the human spirit. A MUST SEE!
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48 out of 51 people found the following comment useful :-

A wonderful and Moving Film, 16 January 2005
9/10
Author: David Smith from United States

This film, recently voted as an audience favorite at the 2005 Palm Springs International Film
Festival, is inspiring and moving. A famous conductor, forced to retire by illness, returns to the
small village of his birth to become the leader of the church choir, and finally find fulfillment in his
music. Drawing on Sweedish traits of keeping things within oneself and of the insular character of
a small Swedish village, this film develops each of its characters well. superbly directed, acted
and sung, it brought tears to many eyes, and smiles to all. Hopefully it will find distribution in the
United States.

If you can, see it!

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39 out of 45 people found the following comment useful :-

Fantastic movie, 21 August 2005
9/10
Author: marleen_verbeek from Netherlands

Wow I loved this movie! It is about normal life in a small village. About hypocrisy and honesty,
love and surrender. Great! It is about things everybody encounters in life. You have to do things
with passion. But some people will not appreciate your passion and will try to stop you. There are
people who find the opinion of others and 'what will the neighbors think' more important than to
follow their heart. Don't let anybody's opinion stop you from fulfilling your dreams and passion. I
loved the fact that the actors were all really normal people, it could have been my family. No big
beauties, but all people you fall in love with during the movie.
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28 out of 29 people found the following comment useful :-

A Movie that you keep thinking about, 21 June 2005
8/10
Author: aanderberg from United States

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

This is one of those movies that you keep thinking about when you wake up the next morning. It
will give you that warm, fuzzy feeling and leave you with a smile on your face.

Sure, we get fed the typical stereotype characters and stories, but it does do the trick: Entertain.

Being from Sweden and living in the US for quite sometime, it is funny how we react. "The
deadbeat husband is going to kill him", "She (Gabriella) is going to die and then there will be a
heartbreaking larger-than-life ending". We know how these things work, everything comes
together at the end. And it did. The characters were somewhat simple, they were so elaborate
that you didn't really think twice about it, nothing was really left for your own imagination. The
closest would probably be Siv, she makes you ask yourself if she indeed was in love with Daniel,
but that's about it.

But the movie is beautiful, set in rural Norrland, the music is absolutely amazing and the
characters are lovable. Michael Nyqvist is truly genius, with his crazy unique look and Frida
Hallberg is charming and approachable. Maybe a little too nice.

But most of all this movie makes you feel, and that is the most important thing. You cry, you
laugh, you hate and you identify. I don't know about you guys, but that does not happen that
often.
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24 out of 26 people found the following comment useful :-
A symphony of love, 7 February 2006
10/10
Author: Thomas Williams from Sweden

I am not going to spoil the contents to anyone, who has not yet watched this humble masterpiece
by Kay Pollak.

A world famous conductor brilliantly played by Michael Nyqvist seeks peace from stress by
moving back to his childhood village. The villagers, who has followed the genius in silence, are
slowly tempting him to share of his greatness.

Each role in this movie, has a very specific purpose and shows a remarkable potential in each of
the actors playing their own chord in short but precise words, a symphony of love.

Not love in the sense of relationship, but in the tone of the spirit deeply buried within each of the
characters, each revealing their own present story, their needs, their skeletons, desires and much
more.

I shall not forget to mention, the two main parts played by Frida Hallgren and Michael Nyqvist,
whose dramas are played in unforgettable harmonies of emotional feedback. They touch each
other with a pain connected in their own disability to love themselves.

Michael Nyqvist is really put to the test here in a very difficult setup, in one of those movies that
either end up as catastrophic or fantastic. And fantastic it became from start to end, not one
second less or more than enough, you are left with a feeling of change and a taste for more.

To this day, definitely one of the best movies I have had the pleasure of watching.
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23 out of 27 people found the following comment useful :-

A superb film, among the best I've ever seen., 21 November 2005
10/10
Author: tonymarciniec from Turkey

First I was caught totally off guard by the film's initial lyricism and then I became totally enchanted
with the unfolding story and engrossed with the brilliant directing. The characters were all fully
developed, not bigger-than-life but just like the people we live among anywhere we are in the
world, in Sweden, in Turkey or in America, all completely believable human beings with foibles
and nobility. Hollywood could learn so much from this beautiful film. It shows that there is no need
to go into every little detail behind every action to bring out the whole theme clear and bright, and
that shows the brilliance of the director! Hearfelt thanks to Kay Pollak and the wonderful cast for
this superb treat!!
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20 out of 23 people found the following comment useful :-

Very well done, exceptionally moving, 5 June 2005
10/10
Author: jsmorton from United States

If the screenwriter and director intended to open hearts with the movie as the musician wanted to
do with his music, they succeeded with me. Commonplace human situations became original,
personal and immediate so that I personally felt touched by each situation. I believe I would credit
the power of music combined with the point of view of the person writing the movie. Without
spoiling, I can say that I was very moved by the movie's approach to living. Haven't actually cried
out of-what- joy? empathy? just deep emotion? in a very long time. I would love to find a way to
show it to others. Saw it at Seattle International Film Festival.
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16 out of 17 people found the following comment useful :-

Divinity of existence, 23 May 2005
8/10
Author: jon_a_au from Norway

A beautiful film, touching profoundly up the simple, yet divine aspects of humanity.

This movie was almost perfect, and seeing as nothing in this world can be truly perfect, that is
pretty good. The only minor thing I subjectively object to, is the pacing at some points in the
middle of the story. The acting is also very good, and all the actors easily top actors in high-profile
films. The actual directing seems to have been well thought through, and the script must have
been amazing. There are some truly breathtaking moments of foreshadowing, and a quite
gorgeous continuing circular composition of the story.

The moment in the movie, when the main character achieves that feeling of being in heaven is
the perfect ending to a truly brilliant yarn.
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14 out of 14 people found the following comment useful :-

no extras all pure enjoyment, 13 February 2006
10/10
Author: ImDb-9174 from Austria

Back to the roots with "like it is in heaven" - what are the real values of life? These Swedes carve
out a message that appeals to every heart. We've seen it twice now in a cinema packed to the
last seat: love pure and joy within the music of a choir that's simple, yet full of power once
everyone finds his or her inner tone.

From the glitter of fame to the school of of his youth, now empty and ready to be adapted as his
new home after collapsing on stage, Daniel wants to start listening and is drawn into the lives of
the simple, warm and rough people of the North.

He wins the hearts with music and gains the capacity to love and be loved unconditionally.

Don't go see it if you've been normed to Hollywood. This stuff contains no extras, just your
laughter, your compassion, your tears!
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13 out of 14 people found the following comment useful :-

A true feel-good film, 17 June 2005
10/10
Author: Ting_13

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

My expectations were quite high for this film. Everyone I know who saw this film at the cinema
told me that everyone there stayed through the credits because they were so touched. My
expectations could not have been any higher, anything short of wonderful would have
disappointed me.

I was anything but disappointed by this movie. I loved how it dealt with difficult subjects without
going through the usual steps a Hollywood film tends to include. In this film characters worked
through problems they had had for decades, they worked through prejudicm, they learned to
open up. But it did not come easily, and not just by singing a song or two. It was painful, it took
arguments, it took confrontations. It felt like real life.

One scene that really stuck out to me was the scene in which Gabriella sings her song. Helen
Sjholm is one of my favorite singers, her voice is lovely, and you could tell that she was not just
lip-syncing to a previous recording during filming (which I often find in other movies), she really
sang with her whole body and soul. You could feel what Gabriella was feeling in that scene. Had
this movie been made in Hollywood her song would most likely have been sung toward the end,
and it would have made her husband open his eyes and see the error of his ways, as well as
making the other people in the village realise a thing or two. Instead it came halfway through, and
it did not bring any solutions. Her husband did not become overwhelmed and realise what he's
putting her through, and it didn't seem to make anyone else in the village more open minded. It
was beautiful, it was pure and it was touching but it did not magically solve all her problems. That
felt real to me, that's probably what would have happened in real life. The whole movie felt like
real life to me, nothing neatly wrapped up but everything with a sense of joy and happiness. You
rarely find a movie which feels so realistic.

There were a few things that bothered me, but hey, no movie is perfect. If you haven't already you
should go see "As it is in Heaven" and be filled with a joy for life, a sense of hope and the feeling
that you've been touched on a level movies rarely reach. You will be sad, pained, happy and a
dozen other emotions.

Someone once said that if every person in the world sang in a choir there would be no more
wars. Having seen this film I might have to agree.