This is the story of some brothers
whom nature had not dealt the best hand.
In fact they hadn't received any cards at all.
But as everyone else, they still dreamed about making it big, about accomplishing something.
And also about the smaller things.
How to survive and eventually find a purpose in life.
MEN & CHICKENS
Dad. It's Gabriel.
Gabriel?
It's okay. You don't have to speak.
Is Elias coming too?
Elias is coming soon.
I need him here.
Most people are ok with it, but some people get scared when they see the wheelchair.
I was chatting with someone the other day and he logged out when he saw my picture.
- But I am glad that we can meet. - You wrote that you're a psychotherapist?
Yes, I am.
Well, I have this recurring dream. Over and over. Night after night.
I am in a darkened room, and suddenly a bird flies over to me.
A wild bird with huge wings and it has a human head.
- It sounds like an angel. - You interrupted me.
I'd rather you didn't do that again. It's very rude.
Sorry. But did you just want to meet me to talk about your problems?
What do you mean? No, that's completely absurd.
Do you... You can't be serious, right?
You think I'm dating psychotherapists to save myself a fortune in fees?
That's very offensive.
May I be allowed to continue without interruption? Good.
I try to hug this bird, but it pulls away from me.
Then I discover that it's my brother. And then something gets hold of me.
I strike it, hard, and I tie it up, and then I break its wings.
The sound is very realistic. Like when you cut a chicken into pieces.
- And then I start raping it. - Raping the bird or your brother?
That's what I said. Would you let it go? And you interrupted me again.
You're a really bad therapist if you always interrupt. Your job is to listen.
Do people in wheelchairs always interrupt like this?
Ow!
Ow, ow, ow!
- Yes, hello. Who is it? - It's Gabriel.
- Gabriel? Hi. - I'm calling from the hospital, Elias.
- You have to come. - I'd like to, if you're there.
Are you feeling well? I am on a date... again.
She's pretty tasty. She has wheels on.
Dad's dead, Elias.
Oh... There, there, Elias. There, there.
- Then it happened? - Yes.
And I didn't even say goodbye.
That's alright. Just sit down, okay?
Okay, Elias? Just sit down. Elias, let me go.
- Let go of me, for heaven's sake! - Sorry.
Will you please go wash your hands?
So, did he say anything?
No. He left us a video tape we have to watch.
Shall we watch it together? At your place?
Did Dad say what he'd rented?
- Is Tanja coming too? - It's been over for three months.
Oh, so she ran away too.
- Did she want children? - Can you just be quiet?
Perhaps it's good that Tanja left you too.
She split us apart, Gabriel.
All your girlfriends have been secretly in love with me.
And when you tell them that you can't have children...
Then they start looking at me because I can.
- So can we see each other a little more now? - It's starting now.
No thanks.
Now it's running.
Gabriel and Elias, when you see this I have been called home to God.
The past should be a cornerstone of every human life.
Especially in the case of people like you, without great prospects
when it comes to creating a family.
The fact is that I have never told you the truth
about your past or your parents.
I am not your biological father.
Your real father is called Evelio Thanatos.
And mum was not your biological mother.
In fact, you don't have the same mother. Elias's mother died in childbirth.
And two years later, Evelio met your mother, Gabriel, and you came into the world.
It can't just stop there.
What about my mother? There must be more.
We're still brothers. We still have the same father. Right, Gabriel?
It makes complete sense.
I've always said that we couldn't be brothers. We look nothing like each other.
Yes, we do. We're the spitting image of each other.
- And we both have brown eyes. - You're a head taller than me.
- I am your big brother. - You are my half-brother.
From now on you and me are half-brothers. Remember that.
Ow.
Ow, ow.
Listen to this: "Evelio Thanatos, Danish-Italian geneticist."
"One of the pioneers of stem cell research. Residing on the island of Ork."
- Is he still alive? - Ork, it's in the south.
It's part of the commonwealth. 42 inhabitants on the 1st March.
- Are you going to go there? - He's our real father.
So? Why hasn't he written to you, if he's such a real father?
I have to go. You stay here. I'll call you.
- I'll go with you. - You don't need to.
Let's sort out the last of the papers, and then you can catch the last bus home.
- I would really like to come with me. - No, Elias.
I couldn't find anything about my mother.
Our father was expelled from the science academy in 1966
because of a scientific dispute. No further details mentioned.
But an image emerges of a very shy and reserved family.
There are no photos of them, which I actually think is a good sign.
It's probably not good that he was expelled.
Many great thinkers have been ostracised by their contemporaries.
Copernicus, Tesla, Spinoza, Keppler, Darwin. Even I have struggled with the system.
- Darwin was a loser. An idiot. - Darwin was no idiot.
He was just lucky he hit on the right idea.
If he'd spent 15 years working on the wrong thesis, would he have been so famous?
It was pure luck that he stumbled over the whole species thing.
Like with Einstein, and his theory of relativity.
- Einstein won the Nobel Prize in physics. - Yes, in 1921.
Slowest year ever in the world of physics. They're all fools.
You just can't see it, because you're so naive.
It's time again. Just pull over up here.
Ow, ow, ow!
Ow!
Hello. Can we still get on?
- Sorry, there's no more room. - When does the next ferry sail?
We sail Monday and Thursday. You can park there and buy some tickets to ride on foot.
How can you have such a small ferry? Why can't we fit on it, Gabriel?
That's the world's worst argument, that she was here first.
My brother's car weighs 274 kg less than the maximum weight specified.
Evelio is a legend on the island. He'll be 100 next year.
- Yeah, yeah. And what about his wife? - I don't know anything that.
- I think he's had a few over the years. - A few?
I know him because of my medical practice.
But he's fine?
Yes. They still live up on the hill in the old sanatorium.
- And how many wives has he had? - He's crazy, that guy. He's hiding from me now.
- Elias. - Hello.
How exactly are you related to Evelio?
- We're his sons. - The apple and the tree, and all that.
You couldn't say we're bad catches. If you happen to have any daughters.
Now he sticks his head out the window. Hello! Hey, I'm talking to you!
No, no, no, how can anyone live here? There's no one to sleep with around here.
Thanks for the lift, Ingrid.
- Elias, it's probably best you wait here. - Why?
- Just so they don't become frightened. - Why would they be frightened?
They're old people. Maybe it'd be a bit much if we go in together.
Well, I'm going to have to use the toilet again after all that. With her.
Can't you just go behind that tree there?
And then you can keep watch out here. Like when we were little.
- You promise you'll come and get me? - Yes, I promise.
Can I help you?
- Is there something wrong? - No, no, no!
I'm looking for Evelio Thanatos. Does he live here?
Yes, but he's got an infection, so he's sleeping.
- Thank you for coming. - What kind of infection does he have?
- Trypanosomiasis. - Trypanosomiasis? That's very serious.
Has he had a molecular-biological test of the species-specific parameters?
- Are you from the hospital? - No, I... Who are you?
I am Gregor, his son. Is there something wrong with that?
No no. Not at all. It's just because...
I'm also his son. I think.
My name is Gabriel.
Franz!
If it's the hospital, tell them to go. The need permission from the council!
Franz, come here!
- Short summary, please. - His name's Gabriel. He's not from the hospital.
But he asked if we tested the molecular biology of father's infection.
- That set off my alarm. - Leave us alone.
Dad feels bad. He's sleeping. This is private property.
- He also says that we are all brothers. - Yes. Let me show you.
That's your brother, Elias. He's waiting by the road.
- Is that you? - Yes, that's me. I'm two years old there.
There's me. And Elias was five.
So how come you look so good now?
Cosmetic reconstructive surgery. I've had four operations.
Why have we only had one then, Franz?
- Because one is sufficient. - Yes, that seems... It's very subjective...
- Are you saying my brother is ugly? - No, no.
- You interrupted me. - Yes, you're right.
Please don't interrupt.
There, the conflict is resolved. Off you go back to the hospital. You have nothing on us.
- Why is your nose bleeding? - It's nothing. Come on, we're going.
Who gave you the bloody nose? Just tell me. I'll won't hurt them.
No, I fell. You mustn't do anything.
- Did the dad do it? - No, he was sleeping.
Someone's coming.
It's a BMW, I think. You're the one with the good eyes.
They've seen us.
- What was that? - That was just a rabbit.
That was a fucking big rabbit.
They were the ones Aunt Ingrid talked about. Stop the car, Ellen.
Gabriel! Gabriel!
No, no, no!
He's dead. He's dead, he's dead...
No, there's nothing wrong with him. He's sitting up.
Welcome to the island. My name's Flemming. My sister gave you a ride from the ferry.
Come on. Come and meet Ellen.
It's about 40 years since we last had an accident here on the island.
But Ellen is still afraid to go out.
She's afraid of being subjected to a violent assault. But as I say:
"Violence is not getting fucking worse. People are just becoming bigger whiners."
Before I became mayor, I went on a sailing trip to Mexico.
- Are you the mayor on the island? - Yes, 32 years running.
She's gorgeous. Is it okay if I do her before we get the boat home?
Mayor's daughter.
You can go inside with Ellen. I'm just going to check on the tower.
- What kind of a tower is it? - It's a stork tower.
The island has a stork. It came once, when my sister and I were small.
But then it disappeared. I put straw up there in case it ever comes back.
It's not coming back. It's long dead.
Then its children or their children's children will come. They always come back.
Yes, Franz throws a mean punch, that's for damn sure.
Actually, all those boys do. Did they beat you with the coot?
No, I think it was a mute swan or some other large fowl.
- Good, or you'd still be staggering. - Is their mother living in that house too?
None of them have the same mother.
Plus they all died long ago. Franz's mother anyway.
And Gregor's and Joseph's mothers both died in childbirth, they say.
As did Elias's mother also. That's statistically most unlikely.
Well, there it is. The old here on the island call Evelio the 'Weiner of Death'.
Well, humour is pretty basic here on the island.
The summer revue didn't do well, I can tell you.
They're all crazy at that sanatorium.
If you have any family elsewhere, then visit them instead.
You should get off this island. It's dying. People who stay here, die with it.
Stop chasing people away from the island, Ellen.
Franz and the boys are a lot of things. They just need a firm hand.
I helped out as a handy man, when Franz was still working in the kindergarten.
Ellen used to be their cleaning lady.
But she stopped because her and Franz had a falling out.
We didn't have a "falling out"! He beat me with a stuffed beaver!
I still have difficulty chewing poperly.
- Who beat you with a beaver? - You damn well had it coming, Ellen. Admit it.
No, Elias, no. Just sit down and wait.
No, no. Leave the young people alone.
Take another macaroon. Here. Ellen baked them.
They're good, right?
It's just me.
- Who hit you with an animal? - It doesn't matter...
No. I can help you if someone is beating you with animals.
This is a lovely room you have, isn't it?
- How about I make us a nice dinner? - You want to cook now?
- Yes, yes. What did you think I meant? - I hadn't really thought about it.
But I just had tartlets over at my aunt's, so...
- What is it that you want? - What do I wa... I'm not sure I can answer that...
They're going all in, huh?
I must apologize for my brother. Did he hurt you?
No. I just think I've had too much to eat.
You have some coconut macaroon there.
You also have... something there.
Oh, that's just some asparagus.
You bake much?
Yes, when I have the time.
Gabriel, come! Just come away from that one. She throws up on everyone.
Get away from my brother! We don't have a change of clothes with us.
- Get away from us, you pig. - No, Elias.
You're an old pig.
I can promise you she... Wow, she's got a lot of rolling pins, huh?
- Dreaming again? - Yes. Just the usual.
- What about you? You still don't sleep? - No.
This is just so sad.
There were 1,754 people on the island in 1938 when the sanatorium closed.
Now there are only 41 left.
They don't even have a church anymore. It burned down in 1984.
What sort of man lets his daughter eat eight tartlets with cream filling?
He is a bad mayor. It's bad leadership.
Elias? It might be a good idea if you tried to talk to our brothers.
You want to go back to those brothers?
The stuff about our mothers makes no sense.
Of course they couldn't all have died in childbirth.
This is suicide.
Elias is good at this. He speaks their language.
I know you're in there. And I think you can probably hear me.
But we mean you no harm, and I'm not from the hospital.
Franz? I'm not mad because you hit Gabriel with that mute swan.
That could happen to anyone. But we're your brothers.
So we have just as much right to see our biological parents as you do.
Gabriel has a number of questions about our mothers which Evelio has to answer right now.
Let us behave like adults and let common sense prevail here tonight.
Alright, you have twenty seconds from to open this door.
Otherwise, the house will be surrounded...
Hey, hey. That's industrial cast iron!
If that pot had hit me...
- What are you doing? - Did you see the size of that pot?
- But you know them. - We'll come back when they've cooled down.
Elias!
Now wait a minute. Gregor! Not the pan. I'm also your brother.
Hello?! Can you hear me?
Give me some room to work.
What the hell did you hit me with?
- A rolling pin. - A rollerskate?
Oh, a rolling pin.
Well. That's a bit cowardly, but it worked well.
Thanks.
I'd better get home to Ellen and have dinner.
- Should we get a doctor to look at him? - Shut it. He's not in pain.
No, if he just drinks his tea...
Of course I'm not in pain. I can't feel my legs!
It's the ligaments that support your back that are torn. They'll heal.
I would like to talk to our father now. And then I want to go to the hospital.
- Can you call your sister? - Ingrid? No, I can't do that.
Just take it easy. Has Evelio got an old wheelchair?
- Yes, he's got a few. - Then chuck him into one of them.
Goodbye, Flemming.
It's nice to see you've worked it out. A family should stay together.
And if you are living here, you should sign the population register.
- Go home, Flemming. - Sign up for the register. Say hi to Evelio.
He's desperate to get people to move to the island.
The Geodetic Institute deletes all cities on the map with a population below 40.
- When does father usually get up? - He can sleep through the whole day.
- None of you have jobs? - No.
Ingrid Abott got me sacked from the kindergarten
and she wants us evicted. We have to be careful.
- What do you do? - Elias doesn't do much of anything.
I teach philosophy and evolutionary psychology at the university.
- And I'm also a writer. - What are your books about?
I've only written one, and it is basically about
how people are struggling to find answers.
- Answers? - Yes.
Either using philosophy, science or with God, we're all looking for answers.
We're all trying together.
- Trying to do what? - Everyone's trying to find meaning.
- The meaning of what? - Everything. Of life, right?
Who we are, and where we come from.
- Who's doing this? God? - God? No, us humans. Everyone.
All of us human beings. You and me.
You haven't really thought that through.
- You'd be better off writing a book about cheese. - About cheese?
Have you ever had any education? Or schooling?
Any relationship with science or philosophy? Or God, for example?
We had a donkey once. That's a bit along those lines, you might say.
Come on out, Joseph.
Such a huge house and only one toilet? It's very poorly designed. Very poorly.
Get away from the door. You strain our new relationship with your stubbornness, Elias.
Yeah ok, fair enough.
- What about upstairs? - We are not allowed upstairs.
Father can't be disturbed. Please step away from the door and await the toilet situation.
Can I have some toilet paper? Would that be ok?
He's magnificent, isn't he? That's our breeding bull, Isaac the Eighth.
- Dad bred him. He's magnificent, isn't he? - He's alright.
He's supplied sperm to more than 43,000 heifers throughout Europe.
Oh, okay. Really?
But how many times a day can he do it, when it really counts, eh?
They come from the mainland and take from him once a month. It's plenty.
- How long are you going to stay? - I don't know.
We could use a little help. Dad is really not healthy.
- 43,000, you say that? - Yes.
Isaac is something special. That's why he's the only animal we don't touch.
- What do you mean? - No touching Isaac. Or we go in the cage.
It's okay, we have lots of chickens. And it's easier because Isaac tends to kick a little.
Do you want to meet them?
Come on.
They like it if you stroke them just under the beak.
- Don't you want one? - Nah.
Don't be afraid.
I'm not afraid. Of these things.
It doesn't hurt them. There's plenty of room.
- They're used to laying eggs. - Right there, you said something...
You've said too much, ok? There's "plenty of room" for what?
What the hell is this? Do you think I want to do it with that ugly chicken?
Do you think I want to get with some ugly chickens?
We're just practicing, until we meet some girls.
Okay, you shouldn't have said that. You are a bad man, Gregor!
Dig in. Gregor butchered it himself.
Will Evelio not come down and eat?
No. We'll save a leg for him.
No thanks, I don't eat chicken on Fridays. Or on Tuesdays.
Oh ok, well there's cheese later. What about you, Joseph?
- I'm not hungry. - Eat up, otherwise there'll be no cheese later.
- I don't care. - There's nothing else. We're eating now.
I don't like it. It tastes bad on this plate.
Gregor, can't Joseph have the dog plate?
I'm using it. He has the chicken.
- Couldn't he just try it? - He had it all week.
Every day is a new day as far as silverware and plates are concerned. You know this.
- Yes, and tonight I have the dog plate. - He always has the dog plate.
Then I won't eat anything. The chicken is crap.
It tastes the same, and the chicken isn't crap.
Gregor, give the dog plate to Joseph. Be the bigger man.
- No. - Look, you can have mine. There's an owl on it.
I'm not a complete moron. The owl's even worse than the bloody chicken.
It's very sweet of you Elias, but the owl plate is the worst there is.
Everyone wants the dog.
- Gregor, give Joseph the dog plate. - Why is it always Joseph?
Joseph has the dog plate tonight. Job done.
Any more of this animosity and you're going in the cage.
- No, Elias! - No cheese board for you then?
No.
What the fuck! Are you biting again? Let him go!
- No! - Let him go! Let him go! Let him go!
- Elias... Elias! - Gregor!
No...
Elias! Elias!
99.2% of all species that have ever existed on our planet are now extinct.
Mass extinction, defined by the death of 60-96% of all species,
has occurred at least 5 times in the last 440 million years.
The last time was when the dinosaurs became extinct. There is no clear cause.
- Yeah? - Storytime?
- You have room for me? - Yes, of course.
- What about Gabriel? - He never liked storytime.
He prefers to read alone.
- Start the interpretation now, Joseph. - Thank you, Franz.
If we could travel back in time and let the ice age descend upon us
the outcome would probably be different.
Species, genus, breeds die out not for a reason. They just do.
People, animals, plants. We're all victims of chance.
- Thanks, Joseph. - Should I read another one?
- Yes. - No.
Yes.
Hello?
Evelio?
Hello?
Aren't you coming down for storytime? We shouldn't be up here.
- He sounds pretty chipper. Are you sure he's sick? - Yes, the medication just lifts his spirits.
- We should not disturb him. - I just wanted to say hi.
You heard what I said. Come downstairs now.
We shouldn't be up here. Plus, it's time for bed.
- Elias? Elias, it's time. - What now?
- We need to go upstairs and look. - We mustn't. He is sick.
Oh, come on. Something's completely off around here. Help me up.
God, it smells of cheese. Why are we in here?
Joseph gets into the cheese at night, so Franz is using us as protection.
He could just lock the door and put us in another room.
There aren't any other rooms. The animals live there.
- Gabriel? - Yes?
There are a lot of animals here.
Can you help me here?
- Come on. Kick it in. - They'll hear us?
- Let's stick to the house rules. - Kick the door down. Do it now!
It was locked before.
Evelio?
Well, there's no shortage of reading material.
These books smell really weird. Come here and smell this.
This is all non-fiction. There's not a dull book here, Gabriel.
We won't get much out of him.
Are you upset?
Maybe we'll still be lucky and find your mother.
Gabriel, let's go back downstairs and go back to sleep again?
How did you get in up there?
Give me father's book.
You touch father's things again and you're going in the cage. Got it?
Have they been in the cheese? It really worries me having them in here.
- No. The cheese is progressing nicely. - What happened?
Ignore the situation, Elias. Just go back to sleep.
Let's go.
I said "let's go", Joseph.
Elias?
Out! Good morning, Gabriel. You slept like a log all night.
- Focus on the game, please. - Elias, come.
- Out! - That wasn't out!
I'm closest to it, so I call it. Service change.
- How can it be out when it's there? - It's just jumped in again. Try and follow.
- That one's not out! - You should serve now.
- Joseph, don't interfere. - Shut up!
I'll be damned. You interrupted me.
- Don't do that. - Yes, you interrupted him. You shouldn't...
Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! What the hell is wrong with all of you?
Our father's corpse is lying upstairs, and you stand around here playing doubles.
Yes, I'd prefer to play singles, maybe have a tournament with two teams.
- You burn more calories... - Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!
Well, he really got up on the wrong side of the bed.
Yeah, just let him roll away. Play on. 0-0.
Gabriel, I'm sorry.
We should have told someone before he started to smell and look funny.
Yes, because you're all completely mental.
Yes, I know. But we're your brothers, and you're almost healthy.
I have a lot I want to talk to you about.
Elias says you had a girlfriend.
It was me who opened the door for you up there.
Help us. Dad needs to get out of here. Not that there were any girls when he was here.
- Girls? How long has he been dead? - A long time. We just let him be.
We found out there wasn't much of a difference from when he was alive.
Apart from the fact we didn't have to go in the cage any more.
And what about our mothers, Gregor? Do you know where they are?
We've always been by ourselves. They all died, when they gave birth to us.
No, they didn't. Tell the truth now.
I think they just left. Dad wasn't a nice very man.
And we probably weren't so nice either. We were very loud babies.
And dad was always working on his experiments in the basement.
It was out! It was out!
Will you please help us with dad?
Don't stand in front of the door, Bo. Move away from the door to hell.
They're here.
It's an insane overreaction to start burying father now.
- The man turns 100 in eight months. - No, he doesn't. Let's go out there.
No girls want to come over when your father is dead. Isn't that right, Elias?
Some might like it. Otherwise you'd have to go to their houses
and try to get into their rooms.
- Franz? - No.
- What about here? - Yes.
- And here? - Let's put it over here.
There's no doubt. It's definitely a trapped nerve.
Well, I'm glad you've come. I tried for years to have your brothers removed.
- But why didn't you do it? - It's complicated.
I haven't got the authority, and Flemming wouldn't move them. But now you're here.
I've never seen them so neat and clean when Evelio was here.
He'd let them sit in those cages for days while he was working in the basement.
- Do you know what he was researching? - No, and I didn't want to know.
But now that you're here, they can finally be brought up properly.
Can you give me your arms? Like that. Good.
Look out for Dad!
If you're walking again, Gabriel, get over here and help out.
Gabriel, hurry up if you want in!
- What book is that? - A Bible, Bo lent me.
- We're not allowed to read that, Gabriel. - Why not?
Father allowed only non-fiction, manuals and philosophical treatises, but he just drove away.
- Exactly. Dad is gone now. - But you don't believe in God, Gabriel.
What I believe isn't important, changes are needed here. Come on.
What are you doing?
- Why is the basement locked? - Because we can't go down there.
- Says who? - I do. No one goes down there.
And what's that book?
It's widely accepted that the Bible is the foundation of our Western ideological system.
It's supposed to contain some simple guidelines on how our civilisation works.
- I've always wanted to read it. - And you will, Joseph.
My idea is that we will have some talks about how to behave based on the texts in the Bible.
That's out of the question! You can't just come here and change our rules.
That is a very silly book, Gabriel.
If it helps, consider it a manual for how to behave, Franz.
That book is banned. Job done. And that's not up for discussion.
Tell him about the "Wild Duck", Gabriel.
The "Wild Duck"?
Yes. I've spoken with Susan at the "Wild Duck" kindergarten about the
two of us going down there on Wednesday to discuss them rehiring you.
- That would be alright, I suppose. - I can't guarantee anything, but we'll see.
But you have stop beating each other up, and start to communicate with each other.
Communicate? What the hell are you talking about?
I think Gabriel is saying that it's paramount for our survival to communicate with each other.
Our animal instincts are inherited of course,
but we have to communicate, otherwise we will degenerate and eventually die out as a species.
- Wasn't that what you meant, Gabriel? - Yes. Thank you, Joseph.
We have to resolve our conflicts by using words instead of violence.
There must be some order, and some system.
- We have a system, and we have order. - Hold on now, Franz.
If we learn these things, then maybe girls will come.
Well, we can see about that. But we could with tidying up and washing our clothes.
The animals belong outside, the cheese belongs in the kitchen,
and we should all wash our hands after we've been to the bathroom, and before eating.
- And we have to stop sleeping together. - Now, stop right there!
- You sleep in the same bed as Elias. - That also stops now.
This is just crazy.
- Does that mean we won't have storytime? - No. Storytime is fine, but we should...
Could we agree on a system where you raise a hand or another visible limb
when you wish to speak, instead of interrupting?
Yes, good idea. Brilliant, Joseph.
- I'm freezing cold. - Let's just try it. Go to sleep now.
Think of the kindergarten. And the girls.
Ow.
Ow!
Franz, you'd better come. He's trying to get into the basement.
Move away from the door. Away!
Why can't I see what our father was doing?
Because we also have some rules here.
And if you go in the basement, you go in the cage. That's how it is.
Hello? Gabriel, hey?
- But... there was a hen... - Yes, we can't keep them out of here.
It had... hooves.
That's very possible, but they have just as much right to live here as we have.
It is completely ridiculous rule. Move away from the door now.
- Elias, will you come here? - No, I will not go in there.
- Come on. - No.
Take a look at this.
There are several chickens with similar deformities here.
What the hell is going on?
This shouldn't be possible.
And regardless, mutations like these should be fatal to the animals.
They should die out quickly when mixed with the general population, but not here.
Here, they are dominant and even outnumber the normal ones.
And so what? They do no harm. That bull is much worse. Look at him.
See how it's mocking us? That's a particularly nasty bull.
Father must have changed their genome and somehow broken the species barrier.
Enough about dad! It's a chicken with a tail, so what? We were talking about the bull.
I'm need to get into that basement.
Please don't, Gabriel. You'll end up in the cage.
- I'll send the animals out now. - No, no, don't worry about it.
But...
What would you say if I helped you get some girls?
Would you help me get the key to the basement?
How many girls are we talking?
- One. Isn't that enough? - Yes, one is very good.
Abraham's undiagnosed schizophrenia escalates and the voices persist
because he has not received psychiatric help or been treated with anti-psychotics and
his condition is aggravated when the voices command him to slay his own son, Isaac
and subsequently set fire to...
- Where are you going, Gregor? - I'm just going to the bathroom.
And maybe now someone else could read?
Raise your hand if you want to speak. It's Joseph's turn. Continue, Joseph.
Shouldn't we let someone else take over? How about you, Franz?
No. I've only gotten up to the bit where they come to Canaan and have a child.
Where the camels constantly need water? That's so silly.
Let Joseph tell the story. We're enjoying ourselves.
Thank you, Elias.
After detaining Isaac, placing him on a prepared bonfire and threatening him
with an edged weapon, he brought along,
the voices give a counter-order, telling him not to kill his son.
Probably because the thinner air on top of the mountain affects the brain
and makes the hallucination change character.
Can't you just read what it says?
Interrupting again without raising your hand? Ridiculous!
- What do you mean, Gabriel? - Just tell it without your interpretation.
I haven't made any interpretation yet.
You wanted us to read that ridiculous book. Let Joseph do it his way. Go ahead, Joseph.
Thanks, Franz. There is not much more. It's very messy and unstructured here.
Abraham cuts the throat of a non-racially specified male goat
which suddenly appears, getting stuck in a unspecified shrubbery.
Isaac is released, and Abraham ultimately sets the goat on fire. It's not very impressive.
- But in chapter 23... - No, let's stop right here, and talk...
- Interrupting again without raising your hand. - Yes, Gabriel, you must respect the rules.
Could we try talking about what we think these stories are really about?
- I could just go to the summary? - No!
I don't like this book, and the fact that Abraham and Sarah had Isaac. It's completely unrealistic.
If you're unable to have children, that nature's way of saying stop.
- Yes. The entire book is silly. - But this is good, Franz.
It is a miracle that Abraham and Sarah have Isaac. That's what God does.
It's completely crazy running around, showering people with miracles like that.
And when God lets 100 year old people become parents.
Let's leave that for a while, but what do you think...
Is Abraham really willing to sacrifice his own son?
Would you sacrifice your own children and your own family for a higher meaning? Franz?
- I cried a little when the goat died. - Yes, that part was very touching.
- Is the goat important? - The goat is not so important here, no.
Joseph, think about it. What does the story mean to you?
The important thing here is to think for yourself and reflect upon the story.
Well...
Then I would say... I'll have to go with the goat.
- I love that goat. - Yes, the goat is great.
Why don't we have a goat like that, Franz?
Gabriel?
Can I come with you?
- You can't... you can't touch anything. - No, no, of course not.
Wow, he really liked animals.
What does "MT" mean?
I think it was the mothers of the crossbreeds. 'Mother To', M.T.
Can we please go back upstairs now?
Gabriel?
- How many crossbreeds did he make? - I don't know. I think they died.
I think he only succeeded with chickens.
But the females should have have rejected the fetuses. How did he do it?
It's sensational.
Oh, come on. He's twice as clever now?
He made a few funny animals and now you think he's a super genius?
They were stillborn, Gabriel. Look, this one is really poorly made.
But he succeeded with the hens.
I think he managed to cross some species with egg-laying vertebrates, like chickens.
All others died. So...
The results should be published, Gregor. You can't just hide it down here!
How many species did he manage to mix? We have a pig and a chicken.
- There's a bull and a turkey. - I don't know. Let's go back upstairs.
We've seen everything, and now we'll go back upstairs.
Gabriel?
Come and help me. There's something behind this bookcase.
I'd really like to go back upstairs now.
I think I've kept my part of the bargain. Now it's your turn to get those girls.
- That bookcase is very poorly made. - Oh no!
Wait a minute!
What the hell are you doing? Huh?
Ow!
Ow! Ow!
I don't believe it. Has he been snooping around downstairs?
Yes, they broke down the door. Look at that.
Elias...
That'll teach you to follow the rules! Come on, let's throw them in the cage.
Joseph! Joseph! Josepy, open this cage!
Joseph! Joseph, let us out!
Joseph! Let us out!!
Stupid idiot!
If you shout, we'll be in here even longer. You have to cool off completely.
This isn't happening.
- Where are we going to find those girls? - We're not finding any fucking girls.
- But you promised... - There are no girls, alright?
And they certainly wouldn't want someone like you anyway.
- What do you mean? - Have you ever looked in a mirror, Gregor?
No. I thought not.
Ow! Stop it! Let go!
No, they haven't cooled off at all. We'll play a singles match.
Get off! Let me go! Elias!
Gabriel, if you just take it easy, you'll get out quicker and we can play double.
- Open the door! Now! - You made the rules, Gabriel.
Right now, Elias!
- Just sit down and wait out the cage situation. - No!
What are you... Wait a minute, Gabriel. Where are you going? Come back now.
- Get away from me. - No one is mad at you.
- You just need to go back in the cage. - Piss off!
- You pushed me... - Yes. Get away from me. I'm going home.
Okay, then let's go home. Let me just say goodbye to the others.
I don't want you to come!
I don't want you, you idiot.
- What are you saying? - I don't like you, Elias.
Don't you get it? You've completely ruined my life.
All my friends, all my girlfriends. Everything! You've chased everyone away.
- No, I haven't. - Yes, you have.
And you're creepy. And you're ugly. And you're disgusting.
And you are absolutely impossible to be around.
Elias, stay here. You... belong here.
No, I belong with you. You promised me that, when we were kids.
You're the stupid one! You're the ugly one!
You hear me, Gabriel!
Gabriel? Gabriel?
Right, Joseph. Now Gregor gets the dog, and Elias gets the chicken.
- He promised he'd bring girls. - Well, it's not happening, Gregor.
It's your own fault.
You won't get your job at the kindergarten back now.
Elias? Could you come with me tomorrow? That would be a great help.
- He can't. He's like us. - Of course I can.
- We need Gabriel. - Let's stop talking about Gabriel.
Elias, could you come?
- Yes. - Thank you, Elias.
- Can you also find some girls? - Of course he can't.
I can if I want to.
Would you be able to get some tomorrow?
I probably could. But that'd be stupid.
- Why? - Well, it is.
Then they'll only have one day for... it.
They'll have to... We can do that. We'll do it tomorrow.
Okay, we'll get some women tomorrow.
And go to the kindergarten too?
- Hi. - Can I stay here until the ferry leaves?
- Sure. I'm just baking some cookies. - Really? Lovely.
I must say that I'm very pleased that we finally have a chance to talk.
To be honest, I have never witnessed such an incident in the kindergarten before.
And I would recommend that you get Franz some psychiatric treatment.
Thank you. But our family does not pay for psychologists.
And there is still the case of the wrongful dismissal.
I don't understand... Franz beat Carl with that stuffed fox.
Yes, alright, we get it. But I think it's time to move on.
And besides, I think it's irresponsible having a stuffed fox standing around in a kindergarten.
You sound different from when we spoke on the phone.
No, I don't.
Who can say they weren't just playing?
Carl had to have seven stitches, because he refused to taste some cheese.
As I understand it, Franz and Carl were equally to blame.
Carl is four years old. You have to leave. All the children are terrified of Franz.
"All the children"? All the children? You have two children here.
You make it sound so serious. Children are afraid of lots of things.
Some kids are afraid of buttons, but we can't all wear ponchos, can we?
Carl and Franz had a little fight. You should be able to handle that here.
You are called the "Wild Duck" after all.
Remember that to the deaf, dancing seems crazy. Did you forget that, Susan?
Let's be reasonable. Franz will be ready to start tomorrow morning at eight o'clock.
I thought you came here to apologize. Where is the man I spoke on the phone with?
- He's sitting right here. Now, listen... - You have to leave now.
So, we have an agreement. And... this is for you.
What's that?
If you put your mind to it, you can probably guess the last two digits.
Just think centimeters. Call me, and I'll make us a nice meal.
It's my phone number, but without the last two digits.
- What does it mean? - Oh, come on. The last two digits are 21.
35875621.
My old number was 39170202. That doesn't work as a joke though.
But with 21, I can say that I have a whopping... Oh, never mind. You're not listening anyway.
Get out, or I'm calling the police.
- She interrupted, Elias. Did you hear that? - I heard it.
- It's out of my hands. - What's happening? What's going on?
When can Franz start again?
When a position becomes vacant, he can rejoin. But, Franz?
When you come back, stay away from the fox.
- At least in the beginning. - Yes. But thanks, Elias. Thank you very much.
- No-one's done anything like this for me before. - Well, family needs to stick together.
That's something that Gabriel never understood.
What do you say we find ourselves some chicks?
- What if no one wants to hook up with us? - That's funny.
It would be the first time in history I couldn't score.
This place smells like pee.
- An excellent selection. - No, there's only one girl, Elias.
- But in relation to the island's population... - There's another one. There are two now.
- I'll take the one with the jigsaw. - No, I'll take her.
No, you don't. You can have the one knitting. Wow, she's hot.
- Why do you get first pick? - It isn't fair, Elias.
- No, it's not. - Excuse me. Are you here to visit someone?
Yes, of course we are. We're volunteers from...
- Franz, the cheese. - It must be cut and plated first.
Haven't I seen you running around outside?
Yes, I struggle with the fact that I am anatomically challenged.
I also struggle with obesity.
- And I'm too thin. - Shame on you.
Making fun of the anatomically challenged.
We have sporting facilities here, if you'd like to see them?
- I would like that. - Come on.
Have you got a sauna?
Joseph? Don't you want any cheese?
Let him run off with that plump little pig if he wants to. She's too young for this place.
Hey, hey, jigsaw lady is mine. You get the knitter. Where's she?
- She was crazy about Gregor. - I'll take this one then. I called dibs.
- She's called Ingrid Lis. - That's right. Ingrid Lis, come here.
- No, she's coming with me. - No. Look, Ingrid Lis. I have cheese.
Stop it, Elias. She's lactose intolerant. She's allergic to milk. Just go.
I prefer Franz.
Yes, alright. We'll get back to you. Goodbye.
If we say the word, they'll send an ambulance on the ferry in the morning.
- There's no other way this time, Flemming. - If they leave, we'll be deleted from the map.
Can we be absolutely sure that cousin Susan didn't just slip and fall?
I've seen her trip over those kids before, and her own feet.
She has a concussion and she lost a tooth. They've crossed the line this time.
Without Gabriel in the house they're a ticking time bomb.
I have to agree with Ingrid that they belong in a hospital. All four of them.
This is all your fault. Evelio was fine up in that room until you came along.
- Shut up, Dad! - Haven't they spent enough time in a cage?
You can't just abandon your family like that.
And what about finding out what happened to your mother?
What kind of person are you anyway?
Oh, shut up, Flemming. You haven't done such a good job running this island!
For the first time in your life, you can do the right thing. Do it now!
You're not coming in?
Thank you so much for today.
I'm happy you're here.
Okay.
Elias?
There's still time to change your mind, Gabriel.
Where's your heart, man? It's your own family.
Dammit, Dad, shut up! Come on. The ferry's leaving.
Come on, Gabriel. Come on!
It's just as I said. It's back!
Ellen... Ellen, look!
- Those are some weird feet. - Yes. He's come home.
- That stork had human feet. - No, I don't think so.
- Come on, Gabriel. - And it had a harelip.
Let's get out of here. The ferry's leaving. Come now.
I'm sorry, Ellen.
We're cancelling the action. Go back to the hospital. The council will take over.
- Dammit, Flemming, you can't be serious. - Yes, I am. Gabriel is back.
- You're fucking kidding me. - Ingrid, get your people and get out.
What are you doing, Gabriel?
Oh no, you don't! Gabriel, no! Gabriel!
No, you can't go down there!
Gabriel, no!
Come on.
Come on out, Elias. That cage is filthy as hell.
Dammit, he's destroyed everything.
What's in there?
- What are those? - Those are our mothers.
Why are they in there?
- Because our father was a very sick man. - Did Dad do that?
Why?
Dad was born sterile, just as we all are. But he found a solution.
He inseminated our mothers with different types of modified animal semen
mixed with his own stem cells.
But it didn't work, did it? Only with the chickens.
No, not at first. He inseminated his first wife a total of fourteen times.
In October 1966 he finally succeeded.
He created his first child, a son.
With semen from the bull Isaac the Second.
Three years later he repeats the experiment.
This time with an owl.
And get's another boy.
And in 1969 he wrote in his journals
that his first two children did not live up to his expectations.
So he... he abandons them.
He gave away his 'owl-man' and his 'bull-man', as he calls them.
And instead tried to create a 'han'.
So Elias is part bull?
Yes, he's a bull-man. Pay attention.
Elias is 11.4% bull
and 88.6% father, and that woman.
That means that it's his half-brother Isaac up in the barn.
- He's not there any more. - What am I then?
You are 9.5% mouse, Joseph.
- I'm a mouse? - Yes. And Gregor, you're a dog.
Labrador. Exactly 10%.
- I'm a dog? - You knew about this?
Why didn't you say something?
I would like to have known I was a dog.
What are you, Franz?
Franz is a chicken.
I'm not a chicken! I'm 15% chicken. I'm a chicken-man! Totally different!
15% is a lot more than 9.5%.
Yes, Father tried to increase the animal percentage and he succeeded with me!
- I'm mouse. That's better than chicken. - You don't know anything, Joseph!
The rules are totally different!
- Dogs are best. - It's a completely different system!
And you're only 10% dog, Gregor!
I'm actually far more chicken than you are dog.
- Chickens are inferior to dogs, Franz. - Stop this, dammit!
Gabriel can decide! And you want to know what he is?
I'll tell you what he is! He's an owl!
- I am 7.1% owl. - And the owl is the absolute worst.
So maybe it's not so bad being a chicken.
How did they die? Why couldn't they just give birth normally?
I think they could have. But father didn't care for complicated surgeries.
- So he performed a fatal caesarean. - That must have been very painful.
Like father used to say, "A life for a life."
Is it true we can never have children?
We're a cross between two species. Hybrids are almost always sterile.
But if father could, why can't we?
Why are you in there, Elias? Come on out.
- I'm sorry. - Don't worry about that.
You should apologise too. What you said to me was very harsh.
- Yes. - Yes, it was.
And it wasn't true. Much of what you said about me isn't true.
Okay.
I by no means, I...
I think I made a mistake with those chickens... and with Isaac.
It's like that recurring dream of mine. And I have to say this...
Don't contradict me.
I'm not...
I'm not quite normal, Gabriel.
I'm not.
Well, none of us are really.
Come on out, Elias.
Can I give you a hug?
I've not had a chance to wash my hands. But can I?
And that's how it came to pass that the brothers whom nature
had dealt an impossible hand came together.
And with the help of Evelios' basement, they were allowed to experience
how every life truly is a miracle.
Every creature, beautiful and ugly, fat and thin, good and evil,
children and old people, animals and humans,
and everything in between that was created by anyone, anywhere.
And although the old people on the island were still afraid of the brothers
and of the things everyone knew went on down in that basement,
they accepted that sometimes those were the conditions
for the very simple reason that life is life.
And that the alternative is not preferable.