As It Is in Heaven

Daniel Daréus is a celebrated conductor whose career has taken him around the world. After a heart attack forces him to step back, he returns to the small village in northern Sweden where he grew up, hoping for a quiet life. Despite his wish to be left alone, he is persuaded to listen to the local church choir, which rehearses every Thursday. What begins as a casual request for advice gradually draws him into leading the group, and his involvement unsettles parts of the community even as the singers come to care deeply for their new teacher.

The film, released in 2004, was directed by Kay Pollak, who also wrote the screenplay with Anders Nyberg and Ola Olsson. It was his second feature, arriving twenty-four years after his debut, Children's Island. Michael Nyqvist plays Daniel, with Frida Hallgren, Helen Sjöholm, Lennart Jähkel, Ingela Olsson and Verena Buratti in supporting roles. The production was a Nordic effort involving Swedish and Danish companies.

On IMDb, the film holds a rating of 7.5 out of 10 from around 19,000 votes, while on TMDB it stands at 7.1 from roughly 197 votes. A critics' rating of 7.5 from six reviews places it close to the audience response. Made for about 25 million dollars, it earned 17 million worldwide, so its standing rests more on how viewers received it than on its commercial return.