Alone in a field of tall grass, a young boy plays the violin beautifully, but his solitary hideaway puts him no closer to the harmony he seeks in his imagination nor far enough away from the local bullies who hound him. In Kay Pollak's deeply affecting film "As It Is in Heaven," those twin torments borne of hope and fear drive the talented but haunted young musician to become a celebrated conductor, Daniel Dareus (Michael Nyqvist). When a heart attack forces Dareus to give up the podium, he returns to the tiny village where he grew up and, as the poet said, discovers the place for the first time.

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