Norway in the 1950's: To improve the kitchen of the single Norvegian man,
the Swedish Home Research Institute (HFI) sends observers right into the
kitchens of violunteering men - to observe their movements in the kitchen like
a fly on the wall ... thing is of course the observers are way bigger than a
fly on the wall. One such observer is Folke (Tomas Norström), who is to
observe Isak (Joachim Calmeyer) ... but for the first few days it seems Isak
has gotten cold feet after all as he won't even let Folke in, let alone observe
him, forcing him to stay out in his trailer for quite some days ... After a
time though Isak shows pity & at least lets Folke into the kitchen, where
Folke is to obsere him from a sot of highchair - but as Isak doesn't like to be
watched by a man who he is - contractually - not even allowed to speak to, he
spends less & less in the kitchen, instead even cooks his food in his
upstaris bedroom & observes his observer from a hole in the floor. It's
not until Folke offers Isak some of his tobacco - which of course is totally
against the rules - that the ice is broken, & the 2 men start to
communicate with one another, at first though only hestistantly. The research
study though seems to get out of hand at other places, too, as Folke's superior
Malmberg (Reine Brynolfsson) informs him, since one of the observers, Green
(Lennart Jähkel), has even started drinking with his client, after a while he
has even diwsappeared, as well as Ljungberg (Leif Andrée), all facts that
might put the research into jeopardy ... But Malmberg trusts Folke to stick to
the rules ... In the meantime Foke & Isak become ever closer friends, so
close that Isak's best friend Grant (Bjorn Floberg) makes an attempt at Folke's
life when placing his trailer (with Folke in it) on the railway tracks -
however Isak saves him without Folke ever knowing what happened. When
Malmberg catches Foke though after a night of heavy drinking with Isak - they
have celebrated his birthday -, he fires him ... which doesn't hurt Folke all
that much since this way he can celebrate Christmas at Isak's place. But
Malmberg intends to spoil that plan too when he reminds Foke that he is
contractually bound to return the trailer to Sweden ... which Folke does,
leaving the trailer right behind the border before returning to Isak - who has
since died though out of grief over having lost his best friend & his only
horse the same day ... Folke, who doesn't see any deifinite future in Sweden,
decides to take over Isak's life, which he has studied for so long ... Despite
drawing a snowy & icey world of saddening monotony & depressing
absurdity, Salmer fra kjokkenet manages to stay amusing & enjoyable
throughout, managing to turn exactly its moments of tristesse around &
exploiting their humorous appeal - but without ridiculing its protagonists.
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