Inga Lindström: Ein Wochenende in Söderholm (2007)

Lena Hallberg works as an assistant at Kristina Asmussen’s advertising agency in Stockholm. Kristina’s son, Mikael, is smitten with Lena, but she doesn’t want a relationship; she wants to focus on her career. Soon, she is due to move to a prestigious agency in New York for further training. First, however, she has to complete a job for the Söderholm Nature Conservation Association. So that they can get a better feel for the place, Kristina, Lena, and Mikael travel to Söderholm. While the two women handle the research, Mikael is supposed to take photographs. When they arrive in Söderholm, Lena nearly runs over a man whose shopping bags have fallen to the ground. Kristina has another reason for making the trip: she spent part of her life in Söderholm and wants to visit her best friend, Malin. She also encounters Malin’s husband, Harald, with whom she had a relationship before leaving Söderholm. Lena sets out to find a pharmacy in town but ends up at the school, where she runs into the man she nearly hit. Kristina asks Harald to help her with the presentation that evening, since he is a local. He is immediately able to help: the organizers are missing information about the sea eagles that settled in the region years ago. Harald recommends contacting Sören Sand, a biology teacher at the school he runs. While looking for him, Lena meets Clara, Sören’s daughter. Lena realizes that Sören is the man she has already encountered twice. Since Sören doesn’t have time to take Lena to see the sea eagles, he explains how to get there. Lena finds the place, but no sea eagles. She also leaves her phone behind. That evening, Lena and Kristina are invited to dinner at Malin and Harald’s. Lena is surprised to see Sören and his daughter there again. She tells him she didn’t see the sea eagles; he simply says that they aren’t easy to find. Back at the hotel, Lena realizes she has lost her phone. The next morning, she goes looking for it and happens to run into Sören by the lake. He has found her phone and also shows her the sea eagles. They grow closer and kiss. Soon afterward, however, Lena already regrets what she has done. Kristina enjoys the day with Harald instead of working. When she meets up with Lena, she gives her the day off because she has arranged to meet Harald again herself. But Lena has just turned Sören down. He doesn’t give up, though, and surprises her with a home-cooked dinner. The evening is so relaxed that, in the end, she gives herself to him. Mikael tries to reach his mother by phone, but she has switched off her phone. So he calls Malin to ask whether she knows where Kristina is. Malin suspects Kristina has met up with Harald and casually asks Mikael for his date of birth. She suspects Harald is his father and goes to Sören because she needs someone to talk to. She knows that Harald married her back then only because Kristina had run away. When Lena sees Sören at the school the next morning, she makes it clear that their relationship cannot work because her career matters more to her. Sören tells her everything he gave up in order to build a life here with his daughter. Clara overhears part of the conversation and thinks she is to blame for Sören giving up his career. She decides to travel alone to her mother in America. Sören finds Clara’s letter and goes to Lena to tell her everything. Lena then leaves Söderholm to return to Stockholm. On the way, she finds Clara, who was hitchhiking to the airport. Lena takes her back to her father and clears up the misunderstanding along the way. Harald leaves Malin and moves in with Kristina in Stockholm. Lena meets Mikael for dinner, but her mind is elsewhere. Mikael tries to make her see that she simply has to follow her heart. Malin also urges Sören to act, because he let Lena leave without a fight. He takes her to see the sea eagles and explains that once the birds find each other, they remain faithful to one another for life. Harald feels as though he is trapped in a gilded cage with Kristina and realizes that this is not his world. He decides to return to Malin. Hurt, Kristina now tells him that Mikael is his son. He then goes to Mikael so he can learn the truth, too. Lena is now supposed to leave for New York earlier, and Kristina tells her that when she returns, she wants to make Lena her partner at the agency. But Lena’s thoughts are with Sören, and she wants to finally sort things out. Sören has the same idea and goes to look for Lena at the agency. After they nearly miss each other, they return to Söderholm together, intending to stay together.