Original subtitles

-[traffic hums] -[car door opens]

So?

Johan, I can't make a catering company deliver something they don't.

-Order from their menu or swap caterers. -Have a nice day.

Well, I don't know. Ask Isabell. It's her birthday.

-[receptionist] Hi. -Then-- Hi.

Hang on, I'm checking in.

-Welcome to the Book Fair. Name? -Sofie Rydman.

Make a list and I'll look at it when I get home on Sunday.

I already told you.

Yes, that's right.

Listen, I really have to run.

Mm.

Sure.

I miss you, too.

Sure, talk to you soon. Bye.

[playful music playing]

[door slams]

DO SOMETHING THAT WILL DRAW THE ATTENTION OF THE ENTIRE BOOK FAIR

["Hit the Bottom" by Amason plays]

[chuckles softly]

LOVE AND ANARCHY

[indistinct chatter]

The main character in your upcoming book, Predator, is an author.

That's right.

[Friedrich] What's your opinion on autofiction?

Can you write about anything?

Well, I don't think a story has to be true in order to be interesting.

God, no. Amen to that.

Our collaboration with Stream-Us will be the talk of the entire Book Fair.

-"Collaboration." -So your presentation is super important.

Your feelings on the matter are irrelevant and you have to get over them.

I have to be allowed to say something about maintaining quality.

Otherwise, I'm letting our authors down.

We'd be letting them down if we didn't do this, Friedrich.

Our competitors have been mopping the floor with us.

The heads of Stream-Us aren't enemies of culture, if that's what you think.

They're absolutely hell-bent on getting the one thing you have that they don't:

your cultural clout, which they have now acquired.

[playful music playing]

ELECTRICAL ROOM KEEP OUT

As long as you stick to the talking points,

everything will be fine.

[clunking]

-[shouting] -[shrieking]

[anxious chattering]

-[Denise] Put your cell flashlight on! -[Sofie] I'm on it. Calm down.

-Is this better? -I'm kind of freaking out.

[man] It has to be the main breaker.

-[cheering] -[applause]

Oh? Should one be worried?

[Friedrich] No, it's probably just a glitch in the digital lighting system,

so "one" can probably relax.

-[indistinct chatter] -[funky music playing on stereo]

I'm writing as fast as I can, I'm smiling, "So nice to meet you."

"How do you spell your name?" And they're yanking at me…

I bumped into Gisela from Culture Radio and she was acting really weird.

Weird? She's always weird.

Just relax and have a good time.

-What the hell? Do you remember that guy? -Who?

-The guy with the glasses. -Oh, yeah.

He's the guy who sent a dick pic to Tove-Lee.

But he said he didn't do it.

That is so predictable.

I'd respect him more if he had owned up to it.

-Hello, my lovely, beautiful ladies. -Oh, hi!

-Are you okay? Feeling good? -So good.

Would you please introduce me to a certain someone over there?

-See you later. -Sure, see you.

There you are. I've been looking for you.

Listen, I need your help.

You know these audiobooks we're doing?

I already recorded everything back in the '80s.

The recordings have to be somewhere. It was for the visually impaired.

-Should I look into it? -You have to. I'm a nervous wreck.

How did you do it?

It's a secret.

That woman over there in the turtleneck,

she's the number one publisher in Sweden, apparently.

Pretend to be an author.

[laughs]

Pitch a book to her.

[laughs]

Okay.

[chattering]

[mutters]

-Hi. -Hi.

Hi! [laughs nervously]

Well, you're actually the reason I came over, basically to ask if you…

Uh… I emailed you.

Okay.

I, uh… I…

-I emailed you a manuscript. -[publisher] I see.

So I was wondering if maybe you had…

If you had got around to it, because I would really like to hear--

-I'm in the middle of something. -I'll be very brief.

It's about a young girl.

One day, she realizes that she's not actually a person,

she's a seed.

Email me again. I'll give you my business card.

I'll do that, and when you get my email, it will say something like this:

she realizes that this seed is growing and growing…

…and growing and growing…

[dialogue fades into chatter]

Another G&T for the lady.

Here you go.

Thanks. Neat.

Yes, almost as neat as your sales pitch.

Mm. [chuckles]

I could have sworn you really wrote that book.

Well, maybe I have.

You have?

It was ages ago and I never finished it, but…

yes, I wrote it.

What's it about?

It's about a girl who wakes up one day

and realizes that she's not actually a person, she's a seed.

[laughs]

Go on.

Well, the seed blossoms into a bluebell,

which transforms into a rose, and eventually the rose becomes a tree.

And the tree is the end of the road?

No, she keeps growing

and realizes that everything contains something,

which in turn contains something else.

She just keeps growing above and beyond, until she finally becomes a big forest.

It was called Love and Anarchy.

Beautiful.

[chuckles]

Listen, I probably should… [sighs]

…call it a night and get some sleep.

I probably should too.

Mm?

-[indistinct chatter] -[pop music playing on stereo]

-You submitted a manuscript to us? -Yes.

And I was wondering how long it takes before you get a response?

-Well, it depends on the workload. -Hm.

-Have you been busy lately? -Oh, yes.

Things have been hectic lately.

[giggling]

[moaning]

[Denise] Sorry!

[giggling]

Oh!

[couple giggling]

[Denise, giggling] I have to find my keycard.

-[Tove-Lee] Get in there! -[Denise laughs]

[door slams]

[muffled giggling]

Thank you for tonight.

Thank you.

Good night, Max.

Good night, Sofie.

[door closes]

-[soft music playing] -[exhales]

[sighs]

[door closes]

[gags and coughs]

[sighs]

[Ronny] I'll put my knife down.

It's so wonderful to see our entire family come together like this.

All of us who work at Lund and Lagerstedt and our esteemed authors.

I would like to remind you about our press event at 2:30 p.m.,

straight after this luncheon,

where we'll share a very exciting, new development for the publishing house.

But until then, let's dig in and enjoy.

-Right, Friedrich? -No shrimp sandwich, no Book Fair.

Huh? Isn't that right?

[chuckles]

[indistinct chatter]

Don't worry, just a few sips now and I'll be right as rain by 2:30.

Mm! [mumbling] Oh, great. [chuckles]

Have a seat right here.

It's your old intern, Denise.

-Hilma, great to see you. -You too.

Hilma has become a Youtuber.

She talks about bullying, make-up, fashion and that kind of stuff.

She has more than half a million followers.

Wow, that's great.

It's such a blessing for me.

This is what I've always worked for.

At first, I had my doubts about writing a book,

but when I was offered this huge advance,

I felt you truly believed in me.

Then it was a no-brainer.

We can't let a competitor beat us to it.

I just want to spread the message that you guys

should believe in yourselves and realize that you guys are unique.

Why do you use oppressive language?

-Excuse me? -"Guys."

Is that how you address your fellow sisters?

-Well-- -It's a shame, with all your followers--

Can I take a picture?

Let's see…

Yes, Sofie.

God, I'm stuffed. [exhales]

Now I just feel like…

lying down on my big, comfortable hotel bed.

[whispering] Liven up this luncheon.

What was that about?

-Nothing. -She's so weird.

-So, who's up for dessert? -Me!

[Ronny] Namely a tasty chocolate fondant.

And, of course, there's a vegan option. [chuckles]

[man] Guys, all hands on deck!

Service on table eight, big group.

-All right, on our way. -On our way.

[mischievous music playing]

Can I help you?

Uh… Where can I get some water?

Right there.

Thanks.

[whispering] Skip dessert.

Thanks for getting water.

We just ran out. Can I have some?

-This is delicious. -I keep telling you.

And this place doesn't have a single star. It's outrageous.

-Pass it over if you're not having any. -Of course, here you go.

-Yummy, huh? -Mm.

The best.

Oh, boy.

A NEW ERA

[chattering]

What did you do?

[laughs] Come on, tell me what you did.

I put some weed in.

[laughs] What?

-I feel a bit weird. -You're just nervous.

Nervous is good. It makes you focus.

[woman] Welcome, everyone.

The moment has come

for Lund and Lagerstedt to talk about the future.

Over to you!

[applause]

Whoo!

I am Friedrich Jägerstedt, Literary Director at Lund and Lagerstedt.

And this is Denise Kona, Head of Sales.

And Communication. I also work with communications.

I'll get straight to the big news.

After a few rather difficult years

of significant financial uncertainty,

Lund and Lagerstedt is entering into a collaboration

with the global service

Stream-Us.

And we're tremendously pleased and excited about this collaboration.

Solid finances give us the opportunity to be more mainstream,

while still maintaining an alternative edge.

It's a win-win situation in every conceivable way.

Yes, access, access, access…

Access is the answer to all our troubles.

To turn our finest literary masterpieces into colorful Disney flicks,

so we can stream them on our cell phones while we're busy doing whatever.

Why fear the fluff of light entertainment?

It is the essence of quality, my friends.

We all know that books are doomed.

Intellectual thought should be banned.

-All aboard! All the time! -[mutters]

[Denise] If some guy gets the opportunity-- Oops!

Fuck, excuse me…

If someone gets the opportunity to reach an international audience,

they can't say no.

That's a fact.

-Bygones, screw it. -Man, I can't deal…

-We're going to get so much grief. -[laughs]

-I'm afraid we'll have to call it quits. -[audience murmuring]

-You will all be treated to… -[feedback whines]

Hi, Ronny! Hi.

-Hi. -[Denise] He's our boss. [laughs]

[Ronny] So, that's it for now, and…

thank you for coming.

Let's all just settle down, and we'll try to sort this out, I'm sure.

Yeah, I really hope you do.

Dammit!

Dammit!

Friedrich, talk to me. What the hell happened?

Was it something you ate at lunch? The seafood, perhaps?

-[Friedrich chuckles] -No.

Where's Denise?

[vomiting]

What the hell was that? A total fucking brain fart.

It's all over Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

I really don't know.

I'm sorry, I…

[whimpering] I'm sorry.

Take him to the hotel and don't attract attention.

Stay at the hotel and don't talk to anyone, especially not reporters.

Sofie, I'll call you later.

I'm going to need your help with this.

Tom, Tom!

Run off to the people drinking champagne.

Ask everyone to please delete any cell phone footage, for old times' sake.

Yada, yada, make something up.

Go, now, appetizers.

And Caroline, that goes for you too. Go to the hotel and stay put.

[breathes noisily]

Hello?

Caroline, hello?

Hello.

What is this? What's got into you?

Come here. There…

Put this on, and here's your bag.

There you go.

Let's get you to the hotel.

-Hello. -Hello, hello.

[both laugh]

[Max] Okay, Friedrich…

[Sofie] I got him. Here…

Watch your step. Here…

-[woman] Hi. -Hi.

[Caroline] Keep off the lines.

Good.

[singsong] Gothenburg.

[Max] Keep going.

This is me.

It's all yours.

[Max] Get some sleep, Caroline.

[Friedrich hums]

Where's your keycard?

-Keycard? -The keycard to your room.

[singsong] The keycard to my room.

[humming] Oh!

Sofie, I didn't expect that from you.

[raises voice] Help! MeToo!

[shushes]

-Hold him. -[laughs]

[grunts]

[whispering] The hell?

-What the hell were you thinking? -Sorry.

-It was a terrible idea. -[Sofie] It was.

-Do you know how important that was? -I never meant for this to happen.

[exasperated sigh] Shit!

I'm…

Sofie.

[phone ringing]

[cell phone ringing]

Hi Johan, what's the emergency this time?

No, because I've told you how busy I am.

Jesus Christ, Johan!

Like I would care which DJ plays at Isabelle's party?

Until Sunday, you're on your own. I'm not present, okay?

I don't even exist!

[grunts]

-[cell phone ringing] -[hotel phone ringing]

[panting]

MISSED CALL

[hotel phone ringing]

[exhales]

-Hi. -Hey.

Would you like to go swimming? I'm up for it.

-Huh? -So, are you joining me?

Go swimming or whatever.

Okay.

[sighs]

[exhales]

[jazz music playing on stereo]

Hi, Ron… Hi, Ronny.

Could you please give me a call?

As soon as possible, please.

A Coca-Cola, please.

[barman] One coke.

You're trending on Twitter today.

Should I say congrats?

Excuse me, you wouldn't happen to know how to access Twitter?

Sure, I can try and show you.

There you go.

Excuse me, you wouldn't happen to know what people mean by "trending"?

Uh… I've never been swimming in Gothenburg before.

Me neither.

-[whistle blows] -[man] Hey!

Listen, you can't…

Wait a second!

Hey, hey!

You can't…

You can't be naked down below. Please.

-Put something on. -[man cheers]

-Seriously, you can't walk around naked. -[wolf whistling]

Knock it off, will you?

[male swimmers cheer and applaud]

[lifeguard] Get down from there.

You can't walk around naked in here.

Get a grip.

Be quiet!

[loud cheering]

-[wolf whistling] -God dammit!

Fucking childish! Get out of there!

[whistle blows]

[Max] You're awesome!

[whistle blows]

[gasps]

[breathing heavily]

[romantic music playing]