Bastarden

In 1755, the impoverished soldier Ludvig Kahlen (Mads Mikkelsen) arrives on the desolate Jutland heath with a clear objective: to heed the king's summons and cultivate the land, aiming to attain both wealth and honor. However, Kahlen's path becomes swiftly obstructed. The unrelenting landowner, Frederik De Schinkel, who holds uncontested authority over the region, asserts his ownership of the heath, contesting the king's claim.

When De Schinkel's tenant flees alongside his wife Ann Barbara and seeks refuge with Kahlen, the landowner employs every means to dislodge Kahlen from the land while simultaneously seeking a brutal retribution. Unyielding, Kahlen refuses to submit, instead choosing to engage in an uneven struggle. In doing so, he places not only his life in jeopardy, but also jeopardizes the relationships he has formed with the small yet troubled family that has become his own on the unforgiving heath.