Before the Frost

Michael Noer's fifth feature is a portrait of a struggling family of freeholders in 19th century Denmark. For years, Jens - played by Danish actor Jesper Christensen - has been fighting to survive on a harsh, unyielding piece of land. The family's decline in fortune is deeply felt and underscored by the local burghers. The parish priest humiliates them by moving them further back in the church, and Jens is now being targeted by Gustav, a wealthy Swede looking to expand his holdings. With winter coming, Jens must choose between marrying off his beloved daughter or losing his family's only means of survival.