Original subtitles

NETFLIX PRESENTS

A SWEETWATER PRODUCTION

A FILM BY HELENA BERGSTRÖM

Hi, Mom.

Oh, I wanna dance with somebody

I wanna feel the heat with somebody

Yeah, I wanna dance with somebody

With some…

…body who loves me

Come, Dylan.

Love you.

-Hi, Janne. Groceries. -Oh!

We had no carrots, so I added some zucchinis.

That's fine.

-Hi, Ingrid. -Hi.

I have a box for you. And one for Ola.

Thank you.

Ludde!

I'll leave this here.

GRANDMA

LOCAL STORE OF THE YEAR 2013

WELL DONE ON YOUR EXAMS!

Gran!

Yes?

Hi, sweetie. I'm in here.

I've got your things.

Great.

-Hello. -Hello.

Are you staring at the screen all day? Haven't you got things to do?

Now listen, I've done enough in my life.

This is supposed to be "life's dessert."

Didn't Queen Silvia say that? Maybe she was referring to her grandkids.

-Never mind. You get it. -I get it.

-Are we having coffee and buns? -Yes, it's all ready.

Now hang onto your hat. I've found something here.

These technical gadgets are fantastic. Everything's right here!

You can just click away all the troubles in the world.

Sweetie, don't worry about that.

-I'll do it later. Have a look at this? -Okay.

"Open audition."

"Dadelac Company needs dancers for the new show, Break-Up."

"The audition is being held at Grand Theater,

on the 15th, 2:00 to 4:00 p.m."

Forget it, Gran.

We're not forgetting anything.

Sweetie…

we have to move on.

It's a year and a half ago now.

No, it's… 17 months.

One month more or less doesn't matter.

It matters a lot, I think.

Your mom would have wanted you to…

Oh, dear…

Wanted what?

For you to follow your dream.

And leave Dad when he's not well?

No.

You're taking on too much.

Too much responsibility.

Auditioning would be great for you.

It's exactly what you need.

I don't think that would solve anything.

What was it he said,

Neil Armstrong, when he was on the moon?

"That's one small step for man,

one giant leap for mankind."

I'll remember that next time I'm on the moon.

These aren't bad.

Sebastian!

Hey!

Hello.

-Hi, there. -Hi.

How's the island's own Dancing Queen?

-Just fine. -Good. Great to hear.

We have lots of ice cream left. It won't keep.

Stop messing about. Get on the boat.

-Hurry up. -I've done the inventory.

-I'll be at the store tomorrow. -No, we need you at the hotel.

-You're joking. -No.

Are you going into town?

He's coming to a match with me.

We're watching MMA.

Want to come along and see sweaty men wrestle?

No, thanks.

It's not for girls.

It's a boys' night out.

-Boys' night out… -Come on!

-See you tomorrow. -Kisses.

Kisses.

Look!

-I mean… -Is it made here on the island?

-Hi, Dad. -Hi. Sorry?

From this island?

Yes, Hemön.

-Great. These, too? -Of course.

-How many? Three? -Three for the wives.

That's 375 kronas.

-Great presents for our wives. -Yes.

-You know what you should do? -No.

We have an island over here called Gubbön.

It's only four stops by boat.

-Thanks. -Yeah, thanks.

-Let's go. -Gubbön sounds good. Let's go there.

Let's have a coffee first.

-Don't mess around like that. -You heard them.

-I know. -LOL.

They're customers. We can't do that.

They won't be back.

No, they'll spend hours looking for Gubbön.

Exactly.

Yeah, you've always been funny.

Dylan!

-You're late. -I know. Sorry.

On the way here, a bear tried to…

A bear tried to take my snacks.

And I just… No!

And now I'm here.

Let's go inside and dance.

-I don't want to meet a bear. -I know.

-There are no bears here. -I'm just being silly.

I've got some great moves for today.

One, two, three, four. Great!

The arms go this way. And four steps that way.

One, two, three, four and one.

Ready for the next move? And let's point.

Stretch your arms.

As far as you can.

We should all stop trying to be perfect.

Just enjoy it!

And out!

Oops!

OPEN

CLOSED

There…

It was great.

-Was it? -Yes!

Bye!

Bye!

-Bye! -Bye!

We'll do some trickier moves on Thursday. Okay?

-Yes. -Bye.

Bye!

Zappa, come on!

So…

Hi, Gran.

Hi, sweetie.

This audition on the 15th…

that's tomorrow!

I can't do tomorrow. We have a delivery and…

The boys can do that. Sebbe is really keen.

Besides, you haven't got that many customers now, do you?

But I'm not at my best right now.

You always are. You're amazing.

No one else has your charisma.

You're fantastic!

Gran, I love your faith in me,

but I have to believe in myself, too, and I don't right now.

Your mom believed in you. Now, listen.

She would have loved this.

But Mom's not here, is she?

We are always with you.

Me, Mom and Dad. We're all with you.

So, if you change your mind, you know…

I've got the ad here.

Well, I may regret it later.

But I guess I can eat buns with you and feel bitter.

I love you.

I love you.

-Kisses. -Kisses.

Hi, Dad.

Hi.

I'm cooking dinner. Want some?

No, I've already eaten, so…

I had some yogurt earlier.

Dad.

Yogurt?

Yes, but… it's okay. Don't worry.

I don't have much of an appetite.

A little?

No need to worry about me.

Okay. I'm not worrying.

You can stay here, playing the guitar and eating yogurt.

Well…

my body's fine.

It's my head that struggles with the grief.

About tomorrow… could you… What are you doing then?

I'll look after the store.

I can't sleep with these new pills, so…

I lie awake at night.

I'll do it. It's okay.

But…

-See you later. -Okay.

Love you.

Love you.

Come here. Hey.

Hey.

One more time.

Yes! Other side.

I love you, Dylan. You're such a great dancer.

I knew you would be, even before you were born.

You kicked so much. You were dancing all the time.

Come on. Let's do the jump. Okay?

No!

No...

What are you doing here, tin man?

You should be here!

You should be here, and you there…

Sebbe, what the fuck?

-Seriously! -What…

-Sit down. -Sorry.

Sebbe, now… Sit down!

Sorry.

-Sebbe, you… -I'll take…

I... Right.

Dylan… I'm sorry.

You were given a key for a reason.

To help out here, not sneak in at night. And wipe your nose.

Dad would have been disappointed.

I know. Sorry.

-Did you have a good evening? -Yeah. Dad wants his money back.

For the match. There was a knock-out after two minutes.

Just…

Then it was over. We should get our money back.

But… we paid a lot of money for it.

-Stop it. -Dyllis…

-What are you doing? -What?

-Seriously, Sebbe… -It would be good for us. Yes.

Sebbe, you are being… This…

I promise, Dylan! It would be really practical.

You wouldn't be like this if you hadn't been drinking.

-It would be easy if it was you and me. -No. I'm like your sister.

We could run the store together. I love this store!

I love it more than anything.

It could be our baby. Instead of a baby, we have the store.

Instead of poo and diapers, we have olives and salad dressing.

And shelves and customers…

-It would be great. -No.

You're just fantasizing to feel better.

No. I don't want to do what Dad says or be who he wants me to be.

Or manage the hotel. He can keep his fucking hotel,

and I'll run the store with you.

That's all I want. Nothing else.

Sorry. That wasn't a good idea.

I mean, you're like a sister to me.

My God, I…

Incest is a bad idea, so I…

-No. -Sorry.

Okay?

-It's okay, Sebbe. -Okay.

One thing though. Can you help me out?

Yeah, with what?

Look after the store tomorrow.

-Since you love it so much? -Okay. Sure.

I'll do it. I promise. It'll be great.

Okay?

Where are you going?

Into town.

I've got stuff to do.

GRAND THEATER

BREAK-UP

I've met a guy on Tinder.

I was swiping around and met this nice guy.

-What guy? -He's called Micke Larsson.

-Right. -He seems really nice.

He looks nice. He's invited me to Kiruna.

But I can't find anyone to take my cleaning shifts at the club.

-Can you do it for me? -When are you going?

-Tonight. -I'm visiting my mother tomorrow.

I promised her.

I thought I'd get rid of her when she moved to Poland.

She keeps calling: "Danuta, you must take care of me."

"Danuta, you must."

Even though she moved back to Bydgoszcz, she won't leave me alone.

-I must… -Hello!

-Hi. -Hi.

Hello.

I'm Dylan Pettersson and I'm here for an audition.

-Are you related to Bob? -Bob Dylan.

If they married, they could be called…

You could be called Dylan Dylan.

What are you here for? How can we help you?

An audition. For the international dance company.

Yes, Dadelac. It was a huge audition.

But that was a month ago.

What?

They are busy rehearsing. You're a month too late.

-There's no audition today. -Shit…

I can see you're disappointed, but…

Well… thanks anyway.

What are you doing now?

Are you busy? I'm thinking… Bettan?

I don't know.

I've got nothing else to do here if I can't dance.

What sort of dance do you do?

Well, modern dance.

But lately, mainly disco.

-Disco? -Yes.

-What are we doing here? -Killing two birds with one stone.

Here's a dance company that can inspire you.

You're joking, right?

No, I'm not, actually.

You can indulge in disco and also help me out.

Just watch. I just need to do something.

I'll be back. Be quiet.

Hang on! Stop!

This choreography is too difficult.

No one keeps their positions.

-So… -Tommy!

This music is too advanced. We were going to do disco.

This is disco. Modern disco.

I agree with Tommy.

You can't dance to this music. It's not inspiring.

But I'm inspired.

It should come from within.

-This is just superficial. -You'll have to work harder.

I think… it doesn't work for me and Magnus.

-Get it? It has no meaning. -We can't get stuck on this now.

We decided to move on. Tommy, if you…

In the middle, like you…

Simplify the step. Just turn around. That's it.

-But… Are you the choreographer now? -What?

-You're choreographing. -Yeah?

Is that your job?

I'm the director and I have to… It's about expression.

Where's the choreographer?

-He's coming. -He's coming?

-I just want it to look better. -You're always covering for him.

-Can you get him? -He'll be here.

Okay, let's start from the beginning.

Don't forget to have fun. Okay? Tommy?

Get into position. Begin.

God! No one knows what they are supposed to do.

Tommy!

Let's take a minute. Tommy, I need to speak to you.

Just one minute.

My knees hurt like hell after all this rehearsing.

I don't get why you're so negative.

I'm just saying it's too hard.

We decided to risk things and move with the times.

Those were the conditions for Victor taking on the job.

-I think we should be grateful. -I am grateful for him doing it.

-But I'd like to see him here. -I know.

I've set my heart on this. It's important to me.

-It's crucial that it goes well. -Yes, for me too.

Hi! Sorry, I got here as soon as I could.

Come on.

Oh, look! The star choreographer.

Great!

We can't move to this music.

Why can't I do "I Will Survive"?

It's too old. It's so uncool. Period.

Do you want your club to go bankrupt?

Come on. You can't keep living in the past.

Think new, think sexy.

Give people what they want.

But I am people.

I know.

We have to look ahead.

I'll tell you one thing. The choreography is too hard.

You need to teach them, they don't know it.

-Tommy… -We're doing our fucking best.

But it doesn't matter if you can't do it.

I'll have a nervous breakdown soon.

Let me say this…

No one here wants to see Tommy La Diva…

panicking.

Fuck.

Tommy?

What the fuck?

Not that too.

This show is actually called "Dancing Queens"…

-I know. -In the plural.

He just needs to express himself. He's disappointed.

But we must rehearse.

Yes, we will. But we'll take ten minutes. Okay?

But...

Jackie?

I can't do this without you.

Why did you have to die?

We have to reduce her moves somehow,

put her in the middle and let her be funny.

-She can sort of… -What do I do with the rest of it?

The others have to do the work. They'll do the modern stuff.

And she can stand there as the queen she is.

-This is insane. -You're aiming too high.

I don't know what I'm doing here. Seriously?

You're helping me.

-Fredde, let's go. -I'll speak to Tommy.

He's in Jackie's dressing room.

-Seriously? -Yes.

Yes.

Good luck.

Oh, God.

Hi, Tommy.

Why do you panic?

What's going on? You go in here…

What's happening?

I get into a panic because of all the responsibility.

You have to believe that what we have will be enough.

All I ask for is to perform "I Will Survive."

You won't even let me do that.

-Victor's right. It's uncool. -What does he know about us?

You know what? We're so…

You know, his career right now, it's sort of…

You talk about him all the time.

-Not about what we are doing. -I love him.

You won't be able to keep him. Don't you see?

He'll slip through your fingers.

-You can't hold on to him. -I'm not holding on to him.

Okay. Maybe I am a bit.

I don't recognize you anymore.

You're not like you used to be.

You remember the old times? When we did things together?

When we were a community. Remember?

When you were…

When you came in here?

-Huh? -Yes, it was like coming home.

It was thanks to you.

Look at them.

Look at the young ones.

They're not like us, when we…

We were a family. We had fun together.

We believed in something. Now it's just…

It's like a fucking ball pit at McDonald's.

It's just superficial.

No, it's not. It's just different.

Tear yourself away now. We need to talk.

But Bettan… cleaning here? It's not…

It's only for one week in the evenings. When they finish rehearsing.

You can come and go as you please.

You can watch and learn, and improve your disco dancing.

It's a great opportunity for you.

Bettan, I didn't come here to clean for a week.

You think anyone came here to clean?

I didn't plan to spend my life being single and cleaning here.

All opportunities passed me by. It's tragic, but true.

My friends say: "You're worth more than that."

And I agree with them.

I can't just let these wonderful drag queens down.

The premiere's coming up soon and it's messy… so… seven days, Dylan.

No more than seven days. You're a girl with a big heart.

I know that. Please.

Yes!

-But I'm rubbish at cleaning, so… -No. You're not rubbish.

Everyone can clean, I know that.

We have 40 lunches at 12:30 p.m. And at 1:00 p.m...

-Late for work, Charlotte? -It's busy at the hotel.

Good thing you're here. We need Sebbe at once.

-He can't run the store. -But Mom, I promised Kenneth.

Sebbe, can you help me? I've got a call.

-Sebbe, please. -Yes!

Hi, Gran.

Hello, sweetie. How are you? How did it go?

I got through to another week.

Is it true?

I have always believed in you.

I knew you could do it.

Do what? What have you done?

Hi, Sebbe.

She's had an audition.

-Audition? -She's through to the next stage.

This is big!

Gran, I may not get the part,

but I made it to the next round, so I can stay for a few more days.

You concentrate on this and don't worry about us.

We'll look after the store. I'll deal with it.

-I'll look after it. -No, you're needed at the hotel.

-But… -Sebbe!

Where will you be staying?

-I'll find something. -Gran knows better.

I've been pulling a few strings.

You know where you can stay?

With my friend Vera at Skolgatan 10 in Haga.

She has a guesthouse,

and she owes me a favor.

VERA'S PLACE

Hi.

Oh, you look just like your mom.

Did you know my mom?

Yes. Sorry, I'm Vera.

I'm Dylan.

-I know. Welcome. -Thanks.

Maggan said you need a room.

I have 14 rooms here, so we'll find something.

-You know my gran and my mom? -Exactly.

I'll tell you another time. Come with me.

-You don't need to take off your shoes. -Oh, but I think I should.

Right, let's see.

This will be good. It's only one flight of stairs.

It's nice to have you here.

Follow me.

Here you are.

-It's lovely. -You think so?

-Yes, really. -Great.

Toilet and shower are in the hallway.

Okay.

How much is it?

I know your gran. You get mate's rate.

I was thinking… 100% discount?

-What do you say? -Wow.

Thanks. I'll happily stay here.

It's perfect.

You must be hungry after all the dancing.

Maggan told me.

Yes, I've had a long day, so I am hungry.

Dancing at the Grand!

-Yes… -With an international dance company.

Tell me about it.

Well, it's like any other audition really.

Lots of people auditioning, but a small selection panel.

Where are they from? All over the world?

It's a Belgian dance company.

Dadeluc… is the name.

So it was…

two… Belgians.

Okay.

I didn't expect to pass the first test, so it's…

It's crazy.

-How exciting! -Yeah.

But we'll see. I've got another week at least.

So I may stay that long. Hopefully.

-You will. -We'll see.

Maggan is so proud of you. If only you knew.

We'll hope for the best.

Definitely.

-Hello? -Hello.

Sorry. I knocked over a lamp.

-Shit, you scared me. -I got a fright too.

-Hi. -Who are you?

The cleaner. I'm standing in for Bettan.

I think a fuse has blown. It happens.

-Wait, I'll help you. -Yeah.

-Oh, did it break? -Yeah.

-Hi. Victor. -Dylan.

I'm the choreographer.

I'm instructing all the dancers and deciding the moves.

I know what a choreographer is.

Yeah. Sorry. Of course.

-So you're also here late. -Yeah.

I have a superstar who can't do a half turn without breaking a leg.

I saw that.

Oh? When?

When I was here and agreed to do the cleaning.

Right.

Hey, are you busy?

No. Well, I should be cleaning…

Any chance you can help me with something?

I just need a stand-in, a dummy.

Well, it's not every day I get to be a dummy.

That's not what I meant.

It would be easier than working with a chair.

Come.

Oh, thanks.

If you stand there in the middle…

Okay.

One second.

Exactly like that.

Yeah.

-Sorry. -It's okay.

Can you try this?

Boom. Hip forward.

-Like this? -Yeah.

Boom, ha.

Boom!

Only joking.

-What was your name? -Dylan.

-Dylan? -Yes.

Dylan, are you a dancer?

Sometimes.

Sometimes? Why don't you show me?

If you like. But I need some music.

I've got music.

Great.

But aren't you dancing, too?

It would be more fun.

I think so.

This is insane.

What just happened? You're great.

Okay.

You could have saved this whole thing.

It's a sinking ship.

Are you hiring people?

Yes. What a shame you're not a guy.

You would have had a contract now.

Tommy's been struggling for two years, since Jackie died.

He can't seem to find himself.

Now he wants to be Gothenburg's Dame Edna.

-Ever heard of Dame Edna? -No.

Australia's famous drag queen.

I met her when I worked in Australia.

It's insane. I realize there's a crisis.

He's heading for bankruptcy, but now he decides

to do a dance show, and the old tart just can't dance.

What a shame you're not a guy.

You would have had a contract now.

Boobs?

No. Never had any.

Guys can have long hair.

And so can Dylan, as a man.

Everyone has facial hair.

One underneath, too?

Yeah, come on!

I think "I Will Survive"

would fit in perfectly in the overall theme.

-You're joking? -No.

Why can't we…

We talked about it loads of times.

The penny drops, but then it resurfaces again.

-What's going on? -To hell with the penny.

I'm talking about "I Will Survive."

Howdy!

Shit! Sorry.

I didn't mean to scare you.

-Hiya. Sorry for interrupting. -What?

Dylan. Dylan Pettersson.

Tommy de la Diva, right?

-La Diva. -La Diva.

Best drag queen in town.

-What? -That's what everyone says.

Right.

I know Victor and he said you have some trouble with the show.

-What? -And I thought…

I heard you need help.

-Do we? -I'm thinking the same. Do we?

That's what Victor said.

-Right. -We have to up the game.

-Okay. -Yeah.

I find it hard, because… You seem to have moved up a gear.

Tommy isn't exactly Nureyev.

Didn't Victor mention me?

-No. -I'm a dancer.

I had some problems growing up with…

Everyone thought I was so feminine. Yeah, and my voice…

I'm not sure it has broken yet…

But now it's great. I got into drag in Australia.

Are you a drag artist?

Yes, that's why I'm here.

-Well… -No.

You're fantastic. Great.

But you're aiming too high.

You have to consider me, 100 kilos, doing that.

-It's too fast. I can't do it. -I get it.

But if you trust me, we'll sort it.

This is the inspiration we've been waiting for.

But the thing is this… I'm the director of the show.

And I own the club. This is such an inspiration…

I must say… I can feel the energy.

Victor! Your friend's here.

-Cool glasses. -You think so?

Yeah. Can I try them on?

-Of course. -Okay. Thanks.

Victor?

-Maybe they're too big for me. -What is it?

What it is?

Yo, bro.

-Hi. -Like the glasses?

It was great yesterday.

It had been such a long time.

And then I thought… Remember Dame Edna?

She's massive.

Me and Victor worked with Dame Edna.

But she really struggled with all the moves.

But then this star entered.

And he brought me in. Clever move. And everything was fine.

-Okay. -Dylan is fantastic.

We worked together in Australia.

-Yeah. -Right.

Is Dame Edna still performing?

-She must be 180 or something? -Yeah…

She's about… 86 now.

But she's strutting around. It's entertaining.

Dame Edna is really on another level.

You've never mentioned Edna. That's fucking big.

Can't we just cut the bullshit.

-Let's see what you can do. -Is this a set-up? Or what?

I have everything with me. We'll do it in full drag.

Yes! Yeah, but… That's fantastic.

Full drag. End of discussion.

-Okay. -It's just that…

All drag queens have a weakness.

Mine is that I really need time to myself to focus.

Do you have a… like, a broom cupboard or something?

Where I can be on my own.

-Yes. -Jackie's dressing room.

-What? -Yes, if he's okay with it.

-Are you joking? -Victor, show him where it is.

-What? -No one else has been allowed…

-Victor? -Good luck.

-You want us in full drag? -Yes. Get ready.

-Yeah! -You keep changing your mind.

You didn't want a new dancer. Now you do.

"Use Jackie's room"?

This is the craziest thing I've ever done.

-This is insane. -Feel the energy!

Jackie, I can feel your presence.

-Full drag now? -Full drag!

But we need to rehearse the choreography.

-Have you heard of Dylan Pettersson? -Dylan…

No, never. And I'm really up-to-date.

It's all very fishy.

We haven't seen him dance.

-And he gets Jackie's room. -Jackie's room?

-Yes. -Yes.

-I can't believe we're in here. -What's the big deal?

Tommy won't let anyone in here. After Jackie's death…

this has become like his tomb.

I guess that's how he deals with his grief.

What's your plan?

You said you needed a dancer, and I can dance.

There's nothing wrong with your confidence at least.

I just summoned my inner man.

I found a shop called "Party on Down."

They had great stuff.

I could take what I want and pay once I've made up my mind.

Stop. What the hell are you doing? It's not fancy dress.

What do you know about drag?

Not too much. That's why I need your help.

I'm doing my best.

In drag, everyone has their own niche.

It's like an alter ego.

Some are comedy queens, others are fashion queens…

but you'll be a dancing queen.

I don't get it. Sasha, help me. I don't get it.

I don't know what to do. How should I do this?

Look at the picture. And then you…

I'll help you fix it later. I must finish this first.

Tell me more about them?

They will really become like your sisters.

They're all great. Warmhearted.

Joel, how was your date?

Well… it was good.

Come on, give me more. You can't just say it was good.

Can you do your dating… somewhere else?

What's his name?

-I shouldn't tell you. -Do we know who he is?

Cut it out!

Sasha, I must be allowed to live my own life.

It's not likely to last, exactly.

Oops.

-Oops. -What do you mean "Oops"?

No…

Excuse me?

Most of them have a troubled background.

What's happened?

Some have been kicked out of their home, others are a bit lost in life,

suffered repression…

This is somewhere they can express their artistry to the fullest,

without being judged.

And why are you here?

I'm here to help Micke.

What's happening? Warming up?

-How's it going? -Okay.

She's… He's ready soon.

Where did you meet?

In Australia.

Just wondering.

-What is it? -It's strange.

A total stranger walks in asking for you.

Why would it be strange if a friend comes in asking for me?

I've never heard of him.

What are you suggesting?

Nothing. Just wondering who he is.

-A friend. -A friend…

What the fuck...?

-What's this? -Nothing's ready.

-What? -What's going on?

We said full drag. Why are you wearing that?

-The costumes have been sent away. -What?

-To the dry cleaner's. -Who decided that?

I did.

What is this?

No one tells me anything. The stuff we need is at the dry cleaner's?

I can't be responsible for wigs, make-up, costumes, everything…

-I'm doing all of it, Tommy. -Sasha can't do everything.

It's not Sasha's responsibility. It's mine.

But Sasha does everything.

Drop it! Let's focus on...

Wow!

-Wow! -Oh, my God!

Great fun. You're really good, Dylan.

Wonderful! Oh, my God! It was just wonderful.

-Thanks. -Like a breath of fresh air.

Like in Jackie's time, right?

I can only say one thing…

You're good. Definitely.

-So you're okay with it? -Just wondering…

in Australia, did you sleep with him?

Seriously. This is too much.

Did you have sex?

No, we didn't. What the hell is this? Get a grip.

-Hey… -No.

I must get back to work, so…

I hope it's a yes, because we have a crisis.

Put a lid on the jealousy and work with me.

You were so fucking great!

It was fun.

Did it feel good?

The dance felt great, but pretending to be a guy…

Dylan, forget it.

Who says guys must be a certain way?

Be yourself. They've bought into it.

We really need someone. He made the show great.

I was skeptical, but he's proved himself.

It felt like a contrast when he started dancing.

Then it was like…

-It was like a new show. -Yeah.

-I must be off to work. -But you work here?

I have two jobs at the moment. Speak later.

I'm cleaning, so I'll be here.

-I'll come and help you. -No need.

Yes, I will.

Okay.

We're up and running again, right?

Can you hang on… Wait!

Of course.

You can come in now.

Hi.

Sorry for barging in.

Hi. I didn't get a chance to say hello properly.

No worries.

I'm Sasha.

-Dylan. -Hi, Dylan.

Welcome to the circus.

Thanks.

My God.

I haven't been in this mausoleum for a while.

It's been locked up since…

Well, since he popped his clogs.

Sorry for being forward, but this…

This Marlon Brando act in heels and fishnets…

Is that…

"The Mask"?

He-man?

I told you earlier that…

I was given so much shit for being…

-Yeah. -Yeah.

Society's contempt for femininity.

Growing my hair long didn't exactly help.

Oh, my God.

I often tie it back, so…

I get it.

Here…

Oh, here's...

Hello?

-Hi. -Here are two and two.

That wasn't a bad performance.

No.

It's nice here.

We were talking about how some of us

show off our femininity.

And others don't.

Anoraks and…

-Yes. -And yes…

Oh, this is where you are?

-Hi. -Incredible!

We're all in Jackie's old dressing room.

-Wonderful. -Dylan, I didn't recognize you.

Tommy and I have talked, and if you want to,

we would like to have you in the show.

Well, only if you want me to.

-Yes, of course. -Definitely.

-Welcome! -Welcome to Queens.

I think we should go for a drink.

My treat.

-You're paying? -Yes, I am.

-That doesn't happen often. -Champagne!

If I get to choose.

I won't come for a drink with you.

I need to rehearse. Really.

It's okay. That's ambitious.

-Yeah. -The right guy for the job.

Have a drink for me.

You have to lock up, so you can take my keys.

I've already got keys.

-Victor gave them to me. -Victor?

-I see. -I'll lock up and set the alarm.

You know how to do it?

So, you're the alarming kind?

-Are you sure that… -Yes, I need to rehearse.

-Okay. -You do as you like.

-Welcome. -Yes. Welcome.

-Right. -Bye, Dylan.

Superstar!

We must stop scaring each other like this.

-I got the job! -I know. You're so cool.

Sorry for not helping you with the cleaning.

I'm very busy with something else.

-It's okay. -You must be starving.

-I'm always starving. -I'm very starving.

I'll take you somewhere, where we won't bump into the others.

I listened to "I Will Survive." It's really cool.

Why don't you want to use it?

Hey, before we go in…

-It's unusual, but give it a chance. -Sure.

Mario!

-Good evening! -Good evening!

Welcome.

-Victor! Hi! -How are you, bro?

Fine.

Is the kitchen open?

Always for you.

Just a minute.

I'm coming.

What's this? What's your name?

Dylan.

Dylan!

What's up, Boran?

You must call me Alfonso.

Yeah, things are going well as hell.

You should have been here an hour ago. It was full. It was…

wonderful!

And I get to use my acting talents.

Mario!

Two spaghetti specials.

With lots of meatballs.

Certainly, sir.

Absolutely.

-They're joking? -He's not Italian. He's from Bosnia.

His business is failing, so he's trying an Italian theme

to attract customers.

But hey, cheers! Great to hang out with you.

Likewise.

-Here's to dancing. -And to Queens.

Meatballs.

Tell me about your life. The full story.

In 30 seconds.

And then I'll…

Two spaghetti specials with lots of meatballs.

-Enjoy! -Thanks, bro.

All right.

-Okay. -Ready?

No. I must finish chewing.

Okay.

Dylan Pettersson.

Bob Dylan, because my dad loves him.

We live on an island, Hemön, and it's beautiful,

but we're not feeling great, because my mom died…

about a year and a half ago.

And then, my lovely gran…

she's pushing me to do something with my life.

That's why I'm here.

What about you?

Grew up in Kortedala, alone with my mom.

She loved me to bits. My dad was an idiot.

-He left us when I was born. -Okay.

I suppose dance saved me.

When other guys were hanging out in town, I was working on my choreography at home.

They used to shout "sissy," but I ignored it.

Micke discovered me when I was 18.

I did a Michael-solo at the shopping center in town.

-I'll drink to that. -Cheers.

You never told me where you learned to dance.

I didn't have time.

But…

if there's no time limit, I can tell you the whole story.

My mom, she was…

the best person ever.

She started dancing as a child.

Gran would take her to town four times a week,

so she could dance.

Gran was a dancer, too, but…

Anyway, then Mom became pregnant.

With me.

And I ruined everything.

No, she was happy.

But she decided to stop dancing,

and look after the store with Dad.

She opened a dance school on the island…

and taught me to dance.

So my mom taught me everything I know.

She loved John Travolta, and we did a lot of disco.

When she died, I took over the dance school…

God, I never talk about Mom. It's very….

It's okay.

She was the best. And an amazing dancer.

And…

she danced in a way…

It wasn't always "correct," but it was always with feeling.

Now the dance school is called "Dylan's Disco."

-You have your own dance school? -Yes, I do.

And it's going well.

Please, Mario, one more.

Please, just one more!

-Okay. -Thanks.

Oh, it is the end of the day The evening's drawing in

Shadows are enveloping our town

In the velvet dark

It's a perfect night for everyone in love

Oh, the Grand!

You know I went there for an audition?

My gran had seen an ad online.

It was some cool international dance company.

But it was a month too late. She got the date wrong.

-Seriously? You missed your audition? -Yeah, makes me cringe.

But I probably wouldn't have been good enough.

What? You're awesome.

Why do you say that? How would you know?

I'm just a simple disco dancer.

They are probably classically trained.

The crazy thing is that I've told Dad and Gran that I'm still in the audition,

so that I can stay here and be at Queens.

Did you want to be on that stage?

Yes, I did.

But… that's life. Things don't always work out.

Hi, Gran.

Hello, sweetie. It's you!

How's it going? Tell me.

It's fine. I've just had a rehearsal. I'm still in with a chance,

so it's all good.

Let's FaceTime.

No, it doesn't work. I tried earlier.

I'll ask Sebbe to help me with the settings.

I don't know how to do it.

How's the store?

Don't worry about it, everything is just fine.

I'm in the living room, having a rest.

We've eaten a stew I made earlier.

We're about to have coffee and cake, and watch TV.

Sounds cozy.

Just press the button. Press Facetime.

It doesn't work, sweetie. I tried earlier and no luck.

It's dead. I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong…

But…

No, sweetie, you should just concentrate on

all the things you want to do…

Okay.

Is it Dylan?

-Is it Dylan? -Yes.

Here's Dad. One moment.

-Hello? -Hi, Dad.

-Hi, sweetie. How are you? -I'm just fine. How are you?

You know how it is.

Yes. Be quiet.

I'm struggling on.

-I'm thinking of you. -We're thinking of you, too.

-Yes. -Yes.

You know, it's like Bob says:

Really…

-Tell her we love her. -We love you.

-Love you. -Bye.

God, you're such a sourpuss.

You can't be so glum when talking to her.

Don't you see what she trying to do? We have to try, together.

I'm also sad and grieving, but we have to move on.

-But please… -For Dylan.

What if she fails?

Please! I never think like that.

It's not an option.

And if she fails, we'll deal with it then.

Why are you lying to her? We're not eating stew.

We're not in the living room. Surely, it's better to tell the truth?

Why?

It's just a little white lie to make things easier for her.

I'm just trying to give her a boost.

Okay.

GRAND THEATER

Hi, Dylan.

-Hi. -Hi.

Sorry. I wanted a cup of tea. I didn't mean to disturb you.

You're not disturbing me. I'm just doing some work.

I'll do it. I've got some tea. Sit down.

I'll get you a cup. You must be exhausted.

Right? Do you want a sandwich?

-No thanks, I'm fine. -Are you sure?

Yes.

Now you have to tell me everything.

How was today? What did you do?

It's so exciting.

What did you do? Were you on stage again?

Yes, we were. Yeah.

Has something happened?

-Didn't you make it to the next round? -Yes.

Yes?

-So many thoughts. -Yeah, I understand.

Of course.

I don't know what it is, but…

I'm thinking about Dad a lot.

I'm having a lot of fun… for now.

-I do want to be here… -Yeah.

…but I feel guilty knowing that I should be with him.

Don't.

And then it's Gran…

She's spent all this time since Mom died

making sure that… I'm okay.

I know that she's really sad, too.

And it seems wrong that I'm here having fun.

Dylan, it's…

It's not like that.

When I'm at home, it's still like…

Things about the house and everything reminds me of Mom.

It feels like she's still there.

But now when I'm away from that,

it's like I'm…

losing her. I don't know.

I would like to talk to her about all of this.

There are so many things… It's new and fun.

-I understand. -Yes… it's a bit difficult.

I've kept a lid on all of this for so long. For Dad's sake.

So, it… sucks.

It's been too much at once.

-Yes. -You know, I…

I knew your mom, a long time ago.

Yeah?

What happened was…

Your gran and granddad took me in as a foster child.

They became my new family.

And your mom became the sister I'd never had.

-So you were close, you and Mom? -Yes.

Back then we were.

She was the sweetest person I've ever met.

She was so warm and funny.

And you know, she…

She danced… all the time.

I was so jealous of her.

You said you worry about Kenneth?

Yes, since Mom…

died, he's been…

really depressed and just…

It's like I'm losing Dad, too.

Did you know him, too?

Yes, I did. Well, they…

They got together early on, and the three of us were friends.

Why did you lose touch?

We were so young.

There were strong emotions, and…

Sometimes, it's just impossible.

I can already hear your steps

Move from room to room

I can feel

Your heart against my chest

Your hands against my cheek

Through skin so thin

And I am done

Ready for anything

At any moment

Five, six, seven, and…

-And they won't be visible? -No, exactly.

Tommy has to be in the middle if it's going to work.

-No, wait. -Ow!

-Tommy, wait. We must… -What is it?

-We must get into position. -This gives me backache.

How the hell can you get back ache from sitting down?

-I'm crouching. -Think of me in the middle!

Tommy! Please, we have no time. Can we just move on?

-Yes. -Trust us. This will be great.

Why change everything? We already have an act.

Please, Tommy. Don't argue. The premiere is in a few days' time.

-Trust me. -Yes!

Ow.

Five, six, seven, and…

Step, beat!

-Around. And… -Where are we? Wait!

Grab the boobs. Yes, nice.

-Where are we in the music? -Circle around him!

-And cover him. Nice. -I…

-Live your life, Tommy! -Live my life?

-Lip sync. -I don't know where we're at.

We'll figure it out later.

It'll be amazing with the dress.

A new dress? We already have an amazing one.

It's wonderful.

You can't get into the old dress.

What did you say?

I said that you can't get into the old dress.

-Tommy, it'll be okay. -Thank you.

We need to do this new act. It's no longer 1995.

Put the dress on stage. You don't need me.

I'm about to faint, because I'm so hungry.

-And I'm fed up with this shit. -Great. Let's take half an hour.

Then we'll get the dress to perform.

-It will be great. Amazing. -Screw you. Fucking hell.

Well done.

Thanks.

Are you okay?

He's all over the place due to stress.

I'm afraid to open my mouth.

I'm afraid they'll get it. That would make things awkward.

No one suspects anything.

They think you're a guy.

Can we get Tommy some food? His blood sugar's low.

You want me to eat? A moment ago I was too fat.

They must think I've gone mute.

Give me a break.

But I never say anything. It's really weird.

You're here to dance, not to have a conversation with them.

Dylan is new.

He doesn't know where to go in this new choreography.

-No, but he will. -He's quick.

I hope you're right.

We need to work together, otherwise it won't work.

Yeah.

You were great until we stopped, so I don't know…

-It wasn't great all the time. -We were rehearsing, but it looked good.

-Where's Victor? -I don't feel great either.

-No, so why do you say that? -It doesn't show.

No, but we…

You are one of the few who can make me feel great.

I feel the same.

"I Will Survive," Tommy. What is it about?

-It's about surviving. -Exactly.

We must survive. Let's focus on that.

We have to.

-Yes. -Give it a chance.

Of course, I'll give it a chance. I'm just sitting here quietly eating.

Robert Fux is here.

-Robert? -Hi. I didn't think you would come.

-Welcome. -Of course I wanted to come.

-Great. -Micke!

Robert Fux is here!

Who's he?

One of Sweden's fucking biggest drag queens.

Come on.

-Nice of you to come. -Cool.

I'm curious about the choreography.

We love Queens, don't we?

Yes!

This is it.

-Go, Tommy! -Yeah!

Dylan! Yes!

What's going on?

I told you he would save the show. Listen to me next time.

-Or save you from me. -What the fuck do you mean?

That was so fucking cool.

Wow, what a fucking show!

-Listen, I'm so proud of you. -It was so cool.

What a hit!

So fucking great.

-I'm so proud of you. Oh, my God! -So good.

Listen!

Hi. Sorry. Hope I'm not interrupting.

I just wanted to say thanks. Really.

What you did tonight was so good.

This show… fantastic!

Queens will survive. I'm sure of it.

Thanks, Robert.

But I must ask…

Where did you work before?

Well… Where haven't I worked?

What's your name?

-Dylan. -Dylan?

Anyway… you're all stars. I mean it.

Thanks, Dylan, and all of you.

-I mean it. See you around. Bye. -Thanks for coming.

Let's party. Let your hair down.

This is probably the best show I've ever seen here.

Great to hear.

-Ra-ta-ta, premiere! -Hi. Sorry.

I just wanted to say thanks for the show.

It was fantastic. And Dylan…

That was a shock.

I can't believe you're here.

-What happened to the Grand? -This is Sebbe.

-Sebbe, Dylan's childhood friend. -Hi, Sebbe.

-Why are you here? -I had a row with Dad, and I thought…

-I've always wanted to come here. -Why?

I'm gay.

-How do you know each other? -We're childhood friends.

We're like siblings. My sister…

-God, you all looked amazing. -Thanks.

But isn't it cheating?

Hiring a real girl for a drag show?

Or…?

-What? -What do you mean?

What?

I mean, it's great, very progressive

-hiring a real girl to… -Sebbe…

What? Dylan?

They don't know.

You mean you define yourself as a real girl?

Dylan? What the fuck?

Dylan, it's okay.

Yes, I'm a girl.

-Did you hear that? -What?

-But… -Yes, I knew.

Is Dylan a woman?

Yes, of course he's a woman.

I'm a woman, we're all women. What's the matter?

You came here and…

fucking lied! And you knew?

Was this planned?

I'm a woman, too. We're all women here, aren't we?

-Dylan is a woman, and Victor knew. -I'm sorry.

I assumed you wouldn't want me if I wasn't a guy.

-It was stupid of me, but… -How prejudiced!

-After all the fucking conversations… -Wait! Did you know about this?

-Dylan, it doesn't matter. -Okay.

So you've lied to everyone?

And risked Queens' credibility?

Credibility?

Credibility! This is a drag show club!

She mesmerized the audience.

She saved your fucking club!

And she's fake! These are real people.

Real people who've made sacrifices to be themselves,

to come out as they want to be. That's a huge difference.

It's not his fault. Fuck…

Do you realize that this is about…

No, it's about something else. It's about you and me.

-You bring our private lives into this. -But…

It's got nothing to do with this.

-You're angry about something else. -That you're betraying me.

You're betraying me.

If you meet someone younger, fine, but to cross over to the other side…

Other side? There are no sides.

That's hard to take after six years.

Six years.

Yeah?

God, what a drama.

I don't get why she felt unable to tell us…

After all we've…

-No. -We're a family. Why…

Why did she have to lie?

Sorry I said anything.

-No! It's not your fault. -No! It's not your fault.

-It's not your fault. -So how do you know her?

-What is… -We are old…

Dyl...

THANKS FOR EVERYTHING, VERA!

I'M SO HAPPY TO HAVE GOTTEN TO KNOW YOU!

HUGS, DYLAN

If you leave now, it's over.

CITY OF GOTHENBURG

-Check out the bird! -Hello.

-Hi, darling. -Hi!

-Are you a guy? -Hello!

No?

Is he queer?

Dad?

Dylan. Hi! Sweetie, what's happened?

When I came to the dance studio today…

the kids were outside shouting "disco."

They miss you.

You must keep on dancing, Dylan.

Promise?

Yes.

Are you coming?

This is Kenneth, Dylan's dad.

-Hi! -Hi, Sebbe.

This is the team from Queens, where Dylan works.

We want to talk to her. Where is she?

Yes, she's in the store.

Your daughter is a star.

-Right. -Can we kidnap her?

Yes, that's…

-Let's go. Bye. -Kenneth!

-Nice dog. -Come on.

-Yeah. Thanks. -Stop hitting on people.

We were all involved. We can all go in.

Why should everyone go in, when we hired her?

Stop fighting.

Hello! Stop it. We'll sort this out now.

You wait here. Come on.

Come!

Hi, sweetie.

Oh, my God.

-What is it? -I had a sudden… blood sugar drop.

What the fuck? Is he eating?

He was feeling unwell. His blood sugar's low.

Right.

You should maybe say sorry to me, too, but…

Apologize properly to her. You've behaved like an idiot.

Say sorry.

-We haven't been fair, but… -We? You mean you?

-I wasn't fair, but you… -I'm sorry.

-No! -Tommy, it wasn't okay that I lied.

-It was stupid. -She stole my man.

What? I haven't stolen your man.

Don't start about your boyfriend. Apologize to her.

I'm sorry, but she stole Victor.

Maybe you and Victor have to sort things out,

but I'm really sorry for lying.

-Hi! -Where's Dylan?

Dylan? She's busy.

-Are you her pupils? -Yes.

-She should be here now. -I can dance with you if you like.

I do hip-hop.

-If you're any good. -You know what?

I've danced everywhere. In town, here and there…

You'll be pros today. Come!

-You must come back. -We need you for the show.

We need you for… everything.

-For Dancing Queens, for… -We need her as a person.

She's going to be part of our group.

-Maybe not of my life, but… -Who gives a shit about your life?

-What does Victor think? -He's okay. He's rehearsing now.

He's busy with that.

-It'll be fine. -Yes.

This isn't working. We need her back.

-We can't send in the whole fucking… -No, I know.

We leave them to it for a bit. Then we'll go in and sort it out.

-Hassan! -Yeah?

I'll be back soon. Okay? Kisses.

Hello?

-Sebastian, where have you been? -With a guy.

I'm gay.

Okay. You know what? I've known that for a long time.

What the hell is this?

Stellan, calm down.

Why didn't you say anything?

Aren't you supposed to do the telling?

I haven't fucking lied.

What are you doing here?

-Are you done? -No, we're waiting for an answer.

-We've said our bit. -Dylan, we want an answer now.

What do you say?

-Yes. -Yes!

We'll take it from the beginning.

The line needs to be straight.

Those two are too far apart.

When they move they should fill the whole area.

The diagonal move looks good.

-Perfect. -Open up.

Like that.

-She's here now. -Hi.

My friend. Dylan, it's time.

Bettan, can't you tell me…

She needs to go in alone.

But she hasn't even said that she wants to do it.

-But are you sure? -Can't you just tell me?

Come on.

Angèle!

Stop. We'll have a break.

Ten minutes.

-Dylan, I assume? -Yes.

Yes.

-Welcome. -Thanks.

Dylan, come.

-Bettan, you can leave. -Right.

Dylan, come.

-Are you okay? -Yeah, but why am I here?

I'm the choreographer for this performance.

Victor has spoken highly of you.

The dancer he was doing this duet with has fallen ill.

It seems that you could be perfect for the part,

so we have decided you're doing it.

Well? What do you say?

Yes? Okay. Go and get changed.

Are you okay?

Are you kidding? This is insane.

They haven't even seen me dance.

Don't worry. They trust me. I've worked with them for ages.

Why didn't you say that you work here?

You didn't ask.

No, that's true.

I could do with someone.

Well, yes…

Do you know what I mean?

You mean you and I could…?

Yes. What's wrong with that?

Dad was a bit shocked of course, or…

-He wasn't that shocked really. -No…

-I think he's… -Was he angry?

No. Not really.

How did you get here?

-We walked. -We took the boat, but…

Oh, I'm just a bit nervous.

There's so much at stake for her.

This is what she should be doing.

-And she should be at Queens, too. -Yeah.

-I wasn't allowed in. -No.

But it's thanks to me that she's here.

She was cleaning for me.

-I was in Kiruna. -Kiruna?

I met a guy in Kiruna. I found him online.

Some birdwatcher. A right old geezer.

But did he point his binoculars at this bird?

I was freezing my ass off and I didn't even get laid.

It should work, our gigs are not at the same time as the ones here.

If only they accept her, things will be perfect.

Dylan was born to be on that fucking stage.

That's how it is.

Softly. Slowly.

What's this about? Is she going to be working here now?

It's an audition. I don't know if she's got the part.

-But if she gets it, she can't… -She can do both.

You can have more than one job.

But I don't get it… When did she learn all this?

-That's enough. -Yeah.

It's fantastic.

-Wonderful. -Yes. Thanks.

That's obvious.

Why don't you talk to her some more?

-Send her my love. -Sorry.

Very good!

Dylan. Gran's here.

She's over the moon.

It's Gran!

-What a wonderful place. All the feathers! -This is my room.

Wow, it's so incredible. I can't believe it.

All the glitter and feathers. I'll show you something.

I found a nice picture…

of you and your mom.

Mom…

Dancing no longer hurts, does it?

-No. -No.

It's still emotional, but…

it feels like she's with me.

Hi.

Coming? They're waiting for us at Alfonso's.

Victor… you're a true artist!

You're fantastic.

I'll be there soon.

Come, let's go.

-But what the…. -Let's use the new one.

There's nothing wrong with this one. Maybe you can give me a push?

What would Jackie have said?

I know what he would have said.

That I'm the ugliest drag queen to ever strut around in a pair of shoes.

⇒ PeradoxSRJ