The Passion of Anna

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His name is Andreas Winkelman,

and he is 48.

He has lived alone

for a while in this house

on an island out at sea.

The roof has long been

in disrepair,

and after the autumn rains,

it started leaking in earnest.

Hi, Johan!

How are you?

Pretty good.

- How's the bronchitis?

- Not good.

I have a bottle

of cough syrup you can have.

Thanks.

Stop by one day...

...so we can sit down and chat.

I must go to the post office

before they close.

Let's get together soon.

Bye.

Good afternoon.

My name is Anna Fromm.

I need to make a call,

but our phone's not working.

You can use mine.

- Please come inside.

- Thanks.

- Over there.

- Thanks.

Thanks.

Stockholm, 400979.

Let me know

how much it costs.

Hi, Elis, it's Anna.

Sorry to disturb you.

Could you find out

something for me?

Andreas deposited money

when the boy was born.

I need that money now.

He didn't?

Why not?

You were going to help him.

We talked about it.

I don't understand.

This is not

an ordinary transaction!

It means a lot to me.

It's not just the money!

Elis...

Yes.

See you tonight.

I found out what the call costs.

Don't worry about it.

Come again.

Use the phone

whenever you like.

Von Sydow. Take four.

Max, as an actor,

what is your personal view

of Andreas Winkelman?

I think he's difficult, because...

...he's trying to hide

from the outside world.

His failed marriage

and legal problems

have driven him

into a blind alley,

where he tries

to conceal his identity.

He's trying to wipe out

his means of expression.

And this hiding place,

without him being aware of it,

has become a prison.

The hard thing as an actor is

to express

the lack of expression.

"Dear Anna,

"I can't live with you anymore.

"I've tried to deny it

for a long time,

because I love you."

"I cannot and will not

live with you anymore.

"I don't believe in trying,

"as neither of us

wants to change.

"I won't give in,

"because I know

we'll run into new problems,

"which will result

in a nervous breakdown

and psychological

and physical violence."

We'll run into new problems,

which will result

in a nervous breakdown

and psychological

and physical violence.

"Therefore, I ask you

not to contact me.

Yours truly, Andreas."

Is Mrs. Fromm home?

She has a cold.

She's in bed.

She forgot her purse.

I can take care of it.

Won't you come in

for a brandy?

Thanks, but I need to go.

Please come again.

Let's see if we can find

something nice for you.

Have a taste of this.

What have they done to you?

I'm sorry.

I thought

something was wrong.

No. I'm fine.

I can't sleep at night.

Sometimes I fall asleep

in the middle of the day.

Forgive me for waking you. Bye.

Goodbye for now.

This meeting resulted

in an invitation to dinner.

Without knowing why,

he accepts and dresses up.

The atmosphere is sincere,

friendly, and openhearted.

He feels a sudden affection

for these people.

You all look so nice.

I'm not used to this.

I'm not a hermit, as Elis says.

I enjoy meeting new people.

I only see the old neighbors.

- It's great having you here.

- Hope you don't get tired of us.

No.

When I was a girl,

I thought God had a beard.

I remember sitting

in my father's lap.

We read a book called "Light"

about the creation.

There was a picture of God

flying above the earth.

He had his arms out like this.

He had no wings.

He was close

to the earth's surface.

He was awfully good-looking,

with a big beard.

This made me believe in God,

even if my parents didn't.

But I had seen Him in the book.

Do you believe in God now?

Do I believe in God, Elis?

Maybe not

in the printed word, either.

No, but I believe in God.

Would you tell

your children about God?

I wouldn't teach them

to believe in God.

I don't think I could

handle children at all.

- Yes, you could.

- No. It's hard because...

You'd let them make up

their own minds, perhaps?

Yes, I think so.

When I go to Milan

to create a cultural center,

I want you to come and visit.

It's a very interesting city,

a huge city full of incredibly ugly,

common, repulsive people.

- That's mean!

- I'm sorry.

They will be given the opportunity

of cultural activity.

You must come

and see this become a reality,

a formidable monument over...

...cultural affectation.

Of course I can do it.

- Is it really a cultural building...

- It is. It is.

How can you despise your work?

I don't.

I find it exceptionally important

so I can satisfy your needs,

especially the financial ones.

Why did you take this job?

I like designing houses.

I'm a distinguished architect.

I was flattered by the offer.

Many reasons...

What does

a cultural center involve?

It's a mausoleum

over the utter meaninglessness

in which our kind of people live.

Why do you make fun of it?

Why do you build it

without believing in it?

What's the purpose?

I'd be idle.

What about you?

Idle? I do what I believe in.

I try to live in the truth.

How do you know

what is right?

You know inside what is true

and what is right.

We fail sometimes, but I want

to strive for spiritual perfection.

Do you fail often?

I haven't failed in what has been

most important for me...

living together

with my husband Andreas.

Do you know why I didn't fail?

Because we lived in harmony

by being truthful.

We were honest.

We believed in each other.

If I had the same attitude

toward my marriage

as you have toward

your cultural center,

I wouldn't have

any beautiful memories.

I wouldn't believe

in anything.

...because I know

we'll run into new problems,

which will result

in a nervous breakdown

and psychological

and physical violence.

How will you get home tonight?

You can sleep here.

Can't he?

Let's have some coffee.

Do you want some coffee?

Andreas!

Elis!

Anna's having a nightmare.

Last year, I bought the land

down to the sea.

- It's beautiful.

- We have some privacy here.

Did you hear

something last night?

Yes, I woke up briefly.

It was Anna.

She still has nightmares

after the accident.

I understand.

Let's go to the mill.

- This is the place. Come in.

- Oh!

In the beginning,

I collected all kinds of pictures,

those I took myself

and those from newspapers,

magazines, and old photo albums.

They're always about people.

Here we have people eating.

Amazing.

People asleep,

people in the grip of violent

emotions in different sections.

Once I collected

only pictures of violent acts.

Please sit down.

Thanks.

I've catalogued them

according to behavior.

An irrational classification,

just as meaningless

as the collecting itself.

There are faces, close-ups.

I took them myself.

Some of them are interesting.

Do you mind if I take

some pictures of you?

Not at all.

I would be flattered.

I have all the time in the world.

Great.

Here it is.

This might interest you.

Anna Fromm, 23 years old,

happily married, seven years

before the catastrophe.

No picture of her husband?

Yes, of course.

It would be interesting

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