Knight of Fortune

Karl, a widower, stands beside his wife's casket in the morgue and wrestles with accepting her death. He cannot bring himself to open the chest, lingering with the memory of her and the pain of goodbye.

In the bathroom, Torben asks Karl for toilet paper and then asks for help to see his dead wife. Karl is hesitant, unsure if he should get involved, but Torben's evident sadness nudges him to listen.

Karl initially hesitates, but Torben's vulnerable plea and sad look convince him to offer help. He questions why Torben couldn't say goodbye with friends or family, and decides to try.

They move into a morgue room where Torben's wife lies in a chest. Torben convinces Karl to open the chest and witness the moment together, setting the stage for a fragile bond to form.

Torben reveals he has prepared a lengthy 32-page speech to his deceased wife. Karl is mildly annoyed by the gesture, but he ultimately agrees to stay and listen a while longer.

As they talk, Karl and Torben discover a shared memory: both of their wives loved a song called Knight of Fortune. The revelation softens the mood and deepens their budding bond.

A Mortuary Porter arrives with eight visitors and presents the chest to them. Karl and Torben watch in bewilderment as the room fills with ceremony and an awkward mix of condolences and performative respect.

As the eight people approach the chest, Karl understands that Torben does not know the woman inside, though Torben pretends to know her to the others. Karl chooses to go along with Torben's performance, masking his own confusion.

Karl steps out of the room, not fully happy with what he witnessed. He is followed by Torben, but Karl walks ahead, remaining distant as he wrestles with the surreal situation.

Karl returns to the chest containing his own deceased wife, hesitating at the threshold and asking Torben to leave. The porter joins him, prompting a moment of reflection and the sharing of a question about Torben's identity.

The porter explains that Torben lost his wife in a boating accident three years earlier and her body was never found, leaving Torben with no proper goodbye. Karl listens, beginning to understand the depth of Torben's grief.

Leaving the morgue, Karl spots Torben on a bench. He hesitates about leaving with his car and instead sits beside Torben, signaling a shift from isolation to shared mourning and companionship.

The two men return to the morgue together, with Torben supporting Karl as he finally opens the chest of his deceased wife. Karl leans in to kiss her, and Torben ends the moment by singing Knight of Fortune.