The Bench

Kaj is a stubborn man with considerable pride. A former chef, he lives in a council flat and participates in a council job‑training scheme for the long‑term unemployed, where he refuses to be bossed around by the foreman of the activation project. When his daughter, whom he has not contacted for nineteen years, moves onto the same council estate while fleeing her violent husband, Kaj’s attitude changes. Although his initial instinct is to avoid her, he inadvertently begins looking after Jonas, her six‑year‑old son. For the first time in years Kaj no longer has to survive on his own; he now has responsibilities and a family of his own.