Original subtitles

You kicked me out.

Benedikt got stuck with a ministry where he has no routine.

Minister for Finance. Are we postponing the new psychiatric ward?

Are you sacrificing a psychiatric ward for a bunch of sheep?

This is the Icelandic lamb,

raised free in the mountains.

These damn sheep have no respect for anything. -Come on, let them be.

I think there's good money to be made here.

The paper isn't for sale.

I just think it's a grave matter,

not having enough time for your child.

That's the pot calling the kettle black, dad.

The global market price of sheep meat is considerably lower than

production costs in Iceland.

So, the costs of raising a sheep in Iceland are higher

than what you can sell it for abroad?

So, you'll buy all the meat? - Yes.

And you'll get the psychiatric ward.

And you'll get all that other stuff that was going to get postponed.

Let's play for it.

If you take part in this,

Icelandic farmers will remember it in the next election.

There's one more thing I need from you.

Do you want me to appoint Eggert Einarsson

as the ambassador for Norway?

It's just Svanhvit. She's undermining you.

I'm sorry for asking, but I need to know.

Are you taking your meds?

What does that have to do with any of this?

Sigridur.

Sigridur Helga. - Right.

Thanks for today. - You're welcome.

So.

How important is this trip?

Some things can be done online. But not this.

So, this meeting is important, is it?

Some meetings are less about discussing economics

and more about networking.

But don't we have ambassadors whose job it is to make these connections?

Yes, but once a year, all the Nordic ministers attend a dinner,

and get to know each other.

It's what diplomacy is all about.

Yes.

I'm just worried about the routine.

I get that the routine is important, but so is this meeting.

It's just a short flight to the Faroe Islands.

There's no reason this should have any real effect on the routine.

I think you'll actually have some fun.

Fun is entirely overrated.

Hi, come on in.

Would you like a drink?

Is this the Finance Minister's standard welcome for invitees?

No.

Only those who matter.

Cheers. - Cheers.

So, what's on your mind?

We're proposing a bill tomorrow.

Okay.

It involves changes to the Cabinet of Iceland.

And was it vital that we discuss that tonight?

Yes.

I was wondering if you might want to present it?

Okay.

What kind of changes are we talking about?

That those who suffer from serious mental illnesses

are prohibited from being a minister.

Are you insane?

No.

I'm quite sane.

No, thanks.

When Benedikt was sick, I treated him badly.

It might be the worst thing I've ever done.

This bill is an important failsafe for national democracy.

Svanhvit.

This bill is about getting rid of Benedikt.

That's all this is. Full stop.

How long is the flight to the Faroe Islands?

Fifteen minutes? - Roughly.

Okay.

For the glory of Iceland. Let's do this.

So. -Isn't it customary to bring gifts to these things?

The ministry said the consul would sort that out. -Okay.

Just the classics, Icelandic brennivin. -Icelandic brennivin?

No thanks, not on my watch.

I've got it.

Icelandic sweets. Icelandic liquorice.

Isn't that Danish liquorice?

The only Danish thing about this liquorice is the name.

Have you tasted Danish liquorice? It's disgusting.

Twelve bags. - Twelve?

Could I please have one flat white...

Honourable speaker.

After my informal assessment of the Icelandic government

it has come to my attention

that there are no protocols in place for what to do

if a minister,

a top government official,

becomes seriously mentally ill while in office.

Such rules already apply to all other officials.

We are all familiar with Article 6

of the Government Employees Act.

It is quite peculiar

that the same rules don't apply to ministers.

Here he is.

Welcome to the Faroe Islands.

Good morning. - This is such an honour.

I'm a big fan. - I'm Porgeir.

Thank you. - Please.

Nice to meet you. It's good to be able to speak.

Yes, absolutely. How was the flight?

Very nice.

We have been here and reviewed these.

This isn't the first time we've been over this

and I assume it won't be the last.

The results fluctuate..

But you'll speak up. Won't you?

I'd be putting myself and my position at risk.

I think you owe me that.

You cost me my job as a minister. Not once, but twice.

And thanks to me you weren't charged with treason.

The first round of discussion is almost over.

I don't think many want to comment on this bill.

It'll be sent to the Constitutional and Supervisory Committee then.

Yes. It's Svanhvit.

Can we get this in front of a different committee?

That's just how it's going to have to be.

Morning. - Hello.

So, Steinunn.

It would probably be best if people like us just stayed home,

instead of breathing down Parliament's neck.

Isn't it bedtime?

How about you come visit grandpa?

Mom can nap while we play.

We're busy.

We're busy.

Welcome to the Faroe Islands.

Good morning. - Good morning.

I insisted that we squeeze this visit into your schedule.

Right. - Do you ride, Benedikt?

I think horses are beautiful from afar. -Sure.

Is all of this yours?

This project is a collaboration

between the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries,

Business Iceland and Horses of Iceland.

Won't you come on in? - We'd love to.

Right this way.

I would rather spend my days here than at work, that's for sure.

There, there.

Were these stables built just for you?

No, not at all. This is just a part of the job.

Yes, it is.

Instead of inviting people to dinner,

we go for a ride.

But what people? - Just, you know,

important people that we need to get to know.

In the Faroe Islands? Yes, this one is Glaeda.

Yes.

You're so beautiful. Yes, you are.

So.

Honourable speaker.

Let's just tell it like it is.

I think most of us know what this is really about.

Which is why I think three readings of this bill are unnecessary.

Speak plainly.

I would like to remind members of Parliament not to interrupt others.

Fine.

This is about a particular man and his place in politics.

I think we should put it to an immediate vote

to see if Parliament wishes to continue down this road.

The honourable member of Parliament has requested a vote.

As per Article 39

there will be a vote

to decide if the bill passes the first reading.

That concludes the vote.

The results are as follows. Twenty-four voted yes.

Eleven said no. Twenty-seven abstained.

So, the bill will pass to the second reading.

We can leave after this.

Won't we have to mingle a bit?

This whole thing is messing up your routine.

Yes, but this is my job and I want to do it well.

Then there's that bill in Iceland.

I'm worried it'll affect you while you're here.

It doesn't affect me.

It says nothing about my capabilities as a person or a government official.

Try to have a little fun.

Cheers. - Cheers.

Cheers. - Cheers.

Put your glass on your head.

My fellow citizens. - Fellow citizens.

Saved by the bell. My wife is calling. -No.

Sorry, guys. It's my wife. - What's going on?

I think most of the party is against us. -Against us?

This is a personal attack on you. - No, it's not.

Isn't this just a standard legal failsafe

for when the country's top government officials fall ill?

So a protocol exists for their recovery break.

And this just happens to come up now? Why do you think that is?

Well, maybe because the head of the government recently got sick.

At the time, it would have been great to have something...

Benedikt, listen to me. If this bill is passed,

it'll be used against you.

I just don't agree with you. I'm not sick.

I'm taking my meds, I'm perfectly healthy.

Is someone else there?

Good to see you. - Hi.

I wish you two were here with me!

We're going to call some members of Parliament to gauge their stance.

Grimur agrees with me.

Yes, but I don't agree with you two.

But I'm glad to see that you're working on this together.

I need to get back to the party.

Okay.

Speak soon. - Okay.

Bye.

Porgeir, let's get you to your room.

Porgeir, please let me help you.

Come on. You're not the boss of me.

She hasn't made up her mind.

This was clearly planned.

She tells me the second reading is scheduled for tomorrow.

They're bulldozing the bill through.

We need to ask other parties for help.

The Social Democrats would never support Benedikt.

Maybe the Pirate Party but there are so few of them.

We need the Progressive Party.

Finnbogi doesn't want to get rid of Benedikt.

This damned Icelandic sheep.

Christ.

I don't want to do this crap anymore.

What for?

What is this? What's going on?

What? What's happened?

A serious assault occurred last night.

What does that have to do with us?

We need you to come to the station for questioning.

You have no authority to question any of these people.

This is a serious matter. The victim is a well-known gay rights activist.

Poor him. But these are Nordic ministers.

They have diplomatic immunity, damnit.

And I can tell you that we had

absolutely nothing to do with that crap downtown.

I'm sorry. -Damn right you are. Call the Chief of Police.

Thank you.

Benedikt, wait.

What are you doing? -I don't understand what's going on here.

A gay rights activist gets assaulted and nobody seems to care.

Of course we'll help the police. - This is your very first meeting.

Could you please not cause a scene? - A scene?

Do you see Denmark's discomfort if their police questioned us?

I think Denmark will get over it. - Benedikt.

If you don't behave, I'll have to tell them you're sick.

Do what you must. I'm going with them.

That was the Icelandic Minister for Foreign Affairs,

who's now heading into the police station.

Good morning.

An honour to meet you. I’m the Chief.

The Chief? - Yes, the Chief of the Police.

Benedikt, let's go.

The Chief of Police? More like the Chief Thug.

Excuse me, Porgeir. Why don't you just go tell someone I'm sick?

That was the Icelandic Minister for Foreign Affairs,

as he exits the police station.

Did you see this?

Unbelievable.

He had to be compensated for his troubles.

The committee just turned in their report. -And?

The committee called in experts in public administration

who discussed the importance of establishing clear protocols

for when the country's top officials suffer from mental illnesses.

And they support the proposal? - Yes.

We have to talk Finnbogi out of this.

I'll take care of it.

I want you to set up a meeting with all the ministers.

I want us to waive our immunity

and let the police question us like everyone else.

You'll upset everyone.

Fine, then I'll upset everyone.

Denmark already shut it down. And they're right to do it.

They are not allowed to investigate us.

It's an important matter of principle in transnational communication.

I think it's ridiculous and I refuse to take part in this.

I'm sorry, Benedikt, but if you don't leave this alone...

They're always looking over my shoulder.

Every day, they encourage me to say that you're getting sick.

Who are these people? - All kinds of people.

Benedikt, you're making it really hard for me to stand by you.

Summon the ministers.

No.

Fine, I'll do it myself.

Are you up for this?

Up for this?

Aren't we just playing squash?

You're so young and fit.

What does the party think of this bill? -What's that?

What does your party think of this bill?

I'm here to play, not talk about work. Let's go.

Are you going to let your party back this bill? He's your friend.

I hate this.

I will sit by, but my party has made up its mind.

Just talk to them.

Just six weeks ago, Benedikt came after the sheep farmers.

How do you think that makes my people feel?

Are we going to let a few sheep be the deciding factor here?

History speaks for itself.

In Icelandic politics, whoever dares attack the sheep is doomed.

Finnbogi, they're just sheep!

The Progressive Party will not be swayed.

Isn't there a parliamentary party meeting later today?

There's your chance.

I have already tried to talk to them. - Let's focus on the game.

Are you okay?

What happened?

What happened?

I don't know.

I see. It's your Achilles heel.

What? - Your Achilles heel.

My Achilles heel? - Could we get some help?

Can you help me get him out of here?

Hi, what happened?

I was just playing with Finnbogi...

And then,

my tendon snapped.

I might not be in the same shape as I was ten years ago.

How long will you have to stay here?

I've got surgery in a few hours.

What about the parliamentary party meeting? -I can't go in this state.

But then we'll have no-one to advocate on our behalf.

Right.

Okay.

Okay. We'll speak later. - Steinunn?

Steinunn?

Damnit.

Porgeir. - Hi, Benedikt.

Listen to me. - Okay.

We need to..

Shut the hell up.

Understand? - Excuse me?

Let's go before this gets out of hand.

Excuse me, I just need to have a word with him.

Will you please listen to me? - 201.

Can you please just stop?

Look.

You're all saying that

I might be pushed out of office in the next few days.

My final official task won't be to sit around and do nothing

while an innocent man is assaulted because of his sexuality.

Okay, then I quit.

Benedikt, if you do this, I hereby resign.

Okay. Fine, resign.

I assaulted him.

I don't find that funny. - Me neither.

What?

You assaulted him?

Did you attack someone because he was gay? -Yes, no!

First I kissed him. Then I beat him up.

What happened?

I just got really drunk.

That excuse is simply not good enough.

Have you ever felt something within you is just broken?

All tangled up or defective?

So, you just suppress it,

you smile and carry on doing what needs to be done.

Porgeir.

I have a mental illness. Of course I know how that feels.

For years, I've felt as if I might just snap.

And yesterday, walking back to the hotel, I met a gay man.

You could tell that he was gay.

I've often wondered, do I want to kiss a man?

But I've always just suppressed it.

But yesterday, I kissed him.

Then he kissed me back, I panicked and I attacked him,

and I ran away.

Why didn't you tell me sooner?

I felt ashamed. - Ashamed?

Ashamed of attacking or kissing? Because one is more serious!

My name can't end up in some Faroese court documents.

My life would be over.

My medical and political career. It would be the end of my marriage.

Please.

Benedikt.

Can you please leave this one thing alone?

Fuck.

Benedikt.

Fuck.

My...

dear Nordic friends.

I'm very sorry to say that

due to some

unforeseen circumstances, I have to leave the meeting and

go back home to Iceland.

Hello. -I'm attending this meeting on Benedikt's behalf.

This is only for elected members of the party.

His substitute can't make it.

That's a shame but it changes nothing.

Steinunn, let's not get in the way of a good meeting. Let's just leave.

Why are you so stressed?

Why aren't you at home, taking care of yourself?

This bill will never pass.

It's as good as passed.

What are you doing here?

I postponed the surgery.

Everyone's high on oxy these days anyway, right?

Hello?

This is not an attack against one man.

Implementing qualification regulations is normal,

requiring ministers to be of sound mind

while working such a demanding job.

If we pass this bill tomorrow,

we make prejudice a cold hard fact in our system.

That is simply unacceptable.

The party that I signed up for twenty years ago wouldn't do that.

Our strength lies in how different people come together

to form one voice based on our common values.

The individual's freedom to be who they truly are

and use their talents to improve society.

Benedikt.

Any last comment on the police investigation here in Torshavn?

No. I just want to say it's been wonderful to visit the Faroe Islands

and to meet its lovely people.

Thank you.

No matter what the socialists say this is a beautiful policy.

But these people...

What's really going on is that these fine people right here

are involved in a barefaced assassination attempt on our chairman

because they don't trust that the foundational democracy of our party

will secure them the reins of government at the National Assembly.

I'm asking you all not to participate in this.

If you really want to talk about one man, let's do that then.

His first official trip abroad.

And what happened?

We know that Denmark has fled.

The Faroese politicians that I know

are so angry about how the meeting went

that they might demand an independence referendum.

It's a serious matter

if the people

who are in charge of this country, of this society,

suffer from mental illnesses.

We need to be able to trust these people.

Porgeir, once upon a time, there was a king.

He ruled in a small country where the water well became poisoned.

All those who drank from the well lost their minds,

except for the king, who had his own private water well.

Eventually, the people became convinced

that he was the mad one.

Forbid them to drink water?

Porgeir, who in this nation is the mad one?

The subjects.

Are they?

Are you sure it isn't the king?

He no longer fits inside the box.

I often think of this king.

It's hard to be different than everyone around you.

Then one day,

he went to the well of the people

and drank.

Today, I have become this king.

I'll do whatever it takes to protect me and mine.

I keep silent about human rights violations.

I'll lie if I have to.

I'm sorry, Benedikt.

This situation is hopeless.

I'm so sorry.

You need to seek professional help for your issues.

That concludes the vote for the bill proposed by Eggert Einarsson

regarding changes to the Cabinet of Iceland.

The results are as follows. Twenty-five said yes.

Nineteen said no. Eighteen abstained.

And so, the bill has been passed.

I think we need to face the fact that

Benedikt won't be the leader of this party for much longer.

It isn't over until it's over.

It's over for him.

Come in, please.

Welcome, Steinunn. - Thank you for meeting with me.