Unruly

In 1933 Copenhagen, Maren dances in nightclubs and at late-night parties, using jazz rhythms to momentarily escape her harsh home life. Her bright, restless spirit pushes against expectations and judgments that seek to confine her. The scenes establish her desire for autonomy and space to breathe.

Neighbors’ complaints lead to a child welfare interview of Maren’s mother. The authorities decide to place Maren in a home for delinquent girls, setting her on a path she cannot easily turn away from.

During the initial interview, Dr. Wildenskov is condescending and seems to underestimate Maren. He labels her sexually promiscuous, diagnoses her as mildly mentally deficient, and recommends placement on the island of Sprogø.

Maren is sent to Sprogø, where she must share cramped accommodations and endure strict rules. Her life becomes tightly regimented, with surveillance and discipline shaping each day.

On Sprogø, Maren shares a cramped room with Sørine, who tallies violations in the hopes of earning an early release to see her daughter. This dynamic underscores the island’s coercive regime and the small acts of resistance it spawns.

Repeated interviews on the island see Maren refuse to engage with routine questions, fully aware that defiance may lock her in a longer stay. Her guarded responses reveal a will to be understood, even as the system insists on control.

A temporary lull comes when workmen repair the facilities and stay overnight because of rough seas. Maren becomes drawn to one of the workers and secretly spends a night with him, leading to pregnancy.

Maren returns to the mainland to give birth, but her baby is taken from her soon after. Her pregnancy is followed by the chilling discovery that she has been sterilised under a new Danish law.

During a movie night on the island, Maren and Sørine stage a diversion and attempt to escape by hijacking the projectionist's boat. The engine won’t start, and Maren ultimately jumps into the ocean; the staff fail to locate her and her body is recovered the next day.

Sørine faces a choice: she may leave only if sterilised. She chooses to consent and takes a job as a maid with a frail elderly couple.

After three years under Protective Services, Sørine is told she will be released and she resolves to reunite with her daughter Ellen. Her plan to find a possible future remains hopeful despite the scars of the system.

The film closes with Sørine and Ellen walking down a country road, a quiet, hopeful image framed by the truth of what happened. The image carries a sense that, despite the past, there is a possibility of a future outside the island’s shadow.

A final on-screen text reveals that the home on Sprogø operated from 1923 to 1961, casting a historical shadow over the narrative and highlighting the regime’s long reach.