David and Sture as Caregivers
Handling the UndeadThis flow follows David and Sture as they support Magnus through a birthday and its aftermath while negotiating their shared grief.
increasing
Bearing strength in each event
decreasing
Bearing strength in each eventdecreasingA Visit in Plain Clothes
A Visit in Plain Clothes
A father-in-law arrives
Sture comes to David’s apartment after Eva’s awakening. His presence is imposing, but he offers David a wordless hug rather than advice.
Shared vulnerability
The embrace acknowledges a common loss without pretending the men know what to do. Sture’s quiet support gives David a moment of human contact.
The Birthday Rabbit
The Birthday Rabbit
A celebration assembled
Sture helps David arrange Magnus’s birthday and brings a rabbit named Balthazar. The adults turn attention toward the new pet so the family can celebrate.
Care through practical acts
The rabbit and the birthday give them something concrete to do. Their shared effort creates a temporary family unit around Magnus’s happiness.
A Difficult Visit
A Difficult Visit
Entering The Heath
David, Sture, and Magnus carry Balthazar through the gates to find Eva. Sture remains beside David as they face the reunion they have feared.
A family gathers
Eva recognizes the visitors and calls them her family. For a moment, the men’s support helps Magnus approach his mother despite his anxiety.
Balthazar’s Death
Balthazar’s Death
The reunion breaks
Eva kills Balthazar in front of Magnus. David carries his son away while Sture retrieves the rabbit’s remains and tries to comfort Eva with the wooden dolls.
Care continues after horror
The adults respond differently, but both protect Magnus from the immediate scene. Their shared attention keeps the child from facing the violence alone.
A Burial in the City
A Burial in the City
A child’s ritual
David and Sture help Magnus bury Balthazar in a thicket and mark the grave with a handmade cross. Magnus gives the rabbit a farewell.
Grief made speakable
The funeral lets Magnus express pain that had been difficult to name. David and Sture stand with him, even as the burial recalls the larger grief surrounding Eva.
14 August 2002, morning
17 August 2002, morning
17 August 2002, shortly after noon
17 August 2002, shortly after noon
17 August 2002, late afternoon
