Who is Kurt Wallander? BBC4 documentary.

There was an interesting treat on BBC4 last night in the form of the documentary Who is Kurt Wallander?  which can still be seen for a few days on BBC's iplayer here.  Presented by the UK's crime writer John Harvey, creator of Resnick, the programme includes interview slots with: Henning Mankell; people who know or who have known the author and creator of Wallander; Kenneth Brannagh (currently bringing the UK version to our screens at the BBC, with the second episode on later tonight); US crime author Jeffery Deaver; and finally, UK award winning crime author, aficionado and champion of Scandinavian crime fiction in translation, Ann Cleeves (who has great insight).

The programme also follows the developments of Sweden, socially, politically and demographically over the last 50 years or so and includes some black & white Alan Whicker archive footage, (reminding us of the quality of insight we once experienced on TV when it came to opening up the world through the box).

There are some touching moments too.  Sadly, the actress who played Wallander's daughter in the Swedish screened version of Before The Frost committed suicide not long after the programme was completed.  Mankell said he felt he could not replace her with another actress and that the viewers would not accept someone new.  If you watch that programme, which followed the documentary and is also currently available on iplayer, you can see why.

Another touching moment came when Mankell talked of the time when his father had become a judge and the family lived above the courthouse.  He and his sister were asked to stay quiet on one day of the week as this was the day that sentences were passed.  When Mankell heard footsteps on the stairs, he knew what was coming next: his toy cars would be required for the courtroom.  His father often became impatient with those involved in car traffic accident cases who had difficulty remembering and explaining the accident.  Thus the toys were deployed to assist in getting at the facts.

In his work as a presenter, John Harvey was great and sometimes came across as droll which hit the nail on the head.  He even did the Wallander tour of Ystad which included Wallander's culinary treats.  I have never eaten a hot dog in my life, but I've seen a few.  Although I've never seen a hot dog like the one Harvey picked up from a favourite spot of the fictional Wallander, which is a real outlet.  Why did the sausage pop out so much from the bun?  If anyone can enlighten me...

More on the UK series with Brannagh to come later.  I have recorded my thoughts on the first in the series - mixed reaction and overall very good - but want to watch the second to see how it beds in.

Don't miss this documentary, to be seen here.  And it's also well worth a view of the Swedish screen version of Before the Frost which can be found on iplayer.  For both programmes the words interesting, compelling, educational and entertaining come to mind immediately.

Comments

[bookwitch]

I have only just watched the programme, and I thought it was good. The sausage situation is a modern invention. In the olden days they were a normal length, only sticking out slightly from the shorter bread.
http://culturewitch.wordpress.com/2008/12/12/how-do-you-pronounce-it-then/

[Simon Griffiths]

I watched the Wallander documentary as well, after watching a couple of the BBC episodes with Brannagh. I was overwhelemd by the simplicity of the shows, Branagh's acting, always good value for money but the plotlines, the lighting (Director of Photography deserves an award) everything was enjoyable.

The documentary was equally watchable. not least because I was thrilled to find out that as a newly converted Wallander fan, the inspiration for Mankell was a series of books from the 60s.

Basically at the tender age of 11 0r 12. I pulled The Laughing Policeman by Sjowal and Wahloo off my parents bookshelf and read it.

I remember trying to work out why the names of the authors seemed so strangely spelt. I was hooked by the clear realism of the text, and the way Martin Beck went about the daily grind of police work without the flashy thrills. Of course I had no idea about its socialist undertones then.

It's a book that even now 30 years or more later from first reading it, I can still recall some of the lines and the scenes.

Since then I have never revisited MAartin Beck as a character. After watching the Wallander documentary and learning that there was a series of ten books about him and that Mankell has written nine about Wallander then I am inclined to stock up on the Swedish element and revisit some of my tender youth and also find a new friend in "Kurt" and Mankell.

[Ali]

ROFL, yes the white sausages were not, errrr pleasant. The Munich folk wonderful, their food was rather 'meaty' but I enjoyed the various sausages apart from the afformentioned White Sausages, which looked odd, and tasted odder.

But with beer, sausage in rolls was perfect, a wonderfully exciting city indeed. One day I'll tell you of my adventures in Sweden, and why I love Larsson's work

Ali

[crimeficreader]

Thanks, Ali.

But I have to disagree with you on the German sausage! I once worked for a German bank and spent some time in Munich. One of my original visits had me taken to lunch at the staff restaurant, where I could be impressed by the staff facilities. I was. The afternoon's agenda was "loose" to say the least and just after two I found myself taken out of the HO and onto the streets of Munich. We didn't walk far as the "best sausage" was indeed close by. I had a selection and picked the one I thought best on an already full stomach. Accompanied by the local brew, if I remember correctly, and way too much heavy German bread...

But even if the German cuisine is sometimes too heavy, the hospitality is never that. I have to admit I never noticed the "sticking out" thing, but I was concentrating on managing to eat a decent bit of what was before me without upsetting my host. The white sausages did make me pale, I have to say...

[Ali]

You summed up the Progamme wonderfully, it was brilliant - and you captured why superbly.

No about the hot-dogs where the sausage sticks out. I spent some time Sweden, as well as Bavaria [among other places], and it is common in Bavaria that hotdogs are made from a roll that is only half the length of the sausage - and the bread is hollow in the middle, hence the suasage stick out the end.

In fact, I often used to grab one in Munich from breakfast on the train and they were very tasty.

Ali