Susanne Bier’s Hævnen/ In a Better World is one of the most beautiful movies I have seen in a while. Bier’s consistent focus on family relationships has helped to create this dramatic and morally thoughtful film. We often expect that children, contrary to adults, carry with them innocence, naivety and ignorance. What happens then, when a child is deeply affected by loss and family conflict that is beyond what they are able to control or understand? Bier’s film explores these themes of violence, anger, revenge, death and regret with the depiction of two families that each struggle throughout the story. While the fathers try to teach their sons that violence is not the answer, they too, are confronted with unnecessary brutality in their lives even as adults. Released in 2010, this film won this year’s Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film of the Year.
