RUOTSALAISEN LASTEN- JA NUORTENELOKUVAN KLASSIKKOJA |
CLASSIC SWEDISH FILMS FOR CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE |
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Ruotsi oli 1940-luvun puolivälistä aina 1970-luvulle maailman johtavia lastenelokuvien tuottajia. Rolf Husbergin Hallatunturin lapset (1945) aloitti menestystarinan. Liikuttava kertomus orvoksi jääneiden sisarusten matkasta tunturien halki oli menestys kotimaassa, ja se esitettiin myös Suomessa. Kaksi vuotta myöhemmin Husberg ohjasi ensimmäisen Astrid Lindgrenin lastenkirjaan pohjautuvan elokuvan Mestarietsivä Kalle Blomkvist.
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From the middle of 1940s all the way to the 1970s, Sweden was one of the world's leading producers of films for children. Rolf Husberg's The children from Frostmo Mountain (1945) was the beginning of the success story. A touching tale about orphan siblings' journey over the mountains was a success in Sweden, and it was shown in Finland, as well. Two years later, Husberg directed Master detective Blomkvist, the first feature based on a children's book by Astrid Lindgren.
The filmed versions of Astrid Lindgren's books followed each other quickly, and the writer dominated the Swedish children's film for a quarter of a century. She took part in the productions as a scriptwriter and wrote stories directly for the screen as well. In 1957 she started working together with the director Olle Hellbom.
Olle Hellbom can be compared to Walt Disney. Both worked solely as children's and family film makers. Lindgren and Hellbom reacted to the television's breakthrough in the beginning of 1960s in a way which was more commonly used two decades later. They adapted books into TV series, which they later on compiled into features. Life on Seacrow Island, Pippi Longstocking and Emil of Lönneberga were produced in this way.
In the 1970s the animated film began to reach the stature of the live-action film. It was pioneered by the ambitious feature Out of an old man's head in which live-action was mixed with animation. The director Per Åhlin's next film Dunderklumpen! (1974) was produced with the same technique. There are no landmarks as far as form and content are concerned in Swedish animation to equal live-action film. In shorts quality is noticeable, but usually the animation is not exceptional.
The pioneers of Swedish animation, Åhlin, Jan Gissberg, Lennart Gustafsson and Johan Hagelbäck made traditional cel animation. The films were based on familiar children's books, just like the live-action feature. Åhlin made a popular series from Gunilla Bergström's Alfie Atkins books. Hagelbäck's charming Historien om Lilla och Stora Kanin is based on a picture book by Nils von Dardel. The film has high-quality animation even by international standards.
Stig Lasseby's and Jan Gissberg made the greatest effort in the feature Peter-No-Tail (1983), based on books by Gösta Knutsson. In this story, a tailless cat from a farm finds his way into a city home. One central theme in the story is the mean Måns's attempts to make Peter look ridiculous in the eyes of Molly Silk-Nose. The sequel Peter-No-Tail in Americat followed the film's success.
Jan Gissberg's next animation was the 30-minute long Charlie Strap and Froggy Ball (1987). In it a frog and a grass-hopper save the cone people from an evil magician. Like the spirit of that time dictated, the themes of this lively animated film were friendship and environmental protection.
Children's everyday games, pranks, pets, and mishaps of the grown-ups were in the centre of the storytelling in the films based on the Astrid Lindgren books. Then Lindgren wrote The brothers Lionheart, whose central theme is the death of a child. The main characters are the brothers Jonatan and Karl. Olle Hellbom directed the film as his last work in 1977. The feature brought about an intense discussion in Sweden about whether a topic this hard could be shown to children. In Finland The brothers Lionheart got an exceptional age limit of 11, as well.
On the whole, Swedish children's film was under a change. A new generation of writers, led by Maria Gripe, was rising to stand beside Lindgren. Serious topics came forth. Kjell Grede directed the film Hugo and Josephine (1967), based on books by Gripe. The film started a debate about whether it was a children's film or a film for adults about children. The portrayal of a friendship between a girl and a boy is contrasted with the ambiguously presented world of adults. Moreover, the storytelling doesn't follow the patterns of a traditional children's film.
Another film made from a Gripe book, The glass-blower's children (1997), which won an award in Oulu, doesn't follow the familiar conventions of children's films either. It has some of the grimness of a 19th century fairy tale, even elements of terror, but today's children audience's viewing experience has changed drastically from the days of Life on Seacrow Island.
The film My life as a dog (1985), directed by Lasse Hallström, may have been the real turning point in the Swedish children's film, though it has the basic setting of the classical children's film. The protagonist is sent to live with his uncle in the countryside when his mother becomes seriously ill. The film deals with accepting differences, and with a child's ability to protect himself even from oppressive situations.
In the 1990s the Swedish children's film reverted to tradition. Tsatsiki, mum and the policeman (1998), by Ella Lemhagen, is the funniest children's film in decades, even though it also deals with bullying and a topic characteristic to the genre: the longing for a missing parent.
Pentti Kejonen |
ELÄMÄNI KOIRANA |
My life as a dog |
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MITT LIV SOM HUND ohj. | dir. Lasse Hallström 1985 |
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FUCKING ÅMÅL |
Show me love |
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ohj. | dir. Lukas Moodysson 1998 |
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HERRA HEIKKI JA S. MAKKONEN |
Charlie Strap and Froggy Ball |
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KALLE STROPP OCH GRODAN BOLL ohj. | dir. Jan Gissberg 1987 |
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HUGO JA JOSEFIN |
Hugo and Josephine |
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HUGO OCH JOSEFIN ohj. | dir. Kjell Grede 1967 |
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LASINPUHALTAJAN LAPSET |
The glass-blower's children |
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GLASBLÅSARNS BARN ohj. | dir. Anders Grönros 1997 |
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PEKKA TÖPÖHÄNTÄ |
Peter-No-Tail |
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PELLE SVANSLÖS ohj. | dir. Jan Gissberg, Stig Lasseby 1981 |
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RONJA RYÖVÄRINTYTÄR |
Ronia, the robber's daughter |
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RONJA RÖVARDOTTER ohj. | dir. Tage Danielsson 1984 |
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SE PIKKUINEN LOTTA |
A clever little girl like Lotta |
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LOTTA PÅ BRÅKMAKARGATAN ohj. | dir. Johanna Hald 1992 |
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TSATSIKI, MUTSI JA POLIISI |
Tsatsiki, mum and the policeman |
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TSATSIKI, MORSAN OCH POLISEN ohj. | dir. Ella Lemhagen 1999 |
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VELJENI LEIJONAMIELI |
The Brothers Lionheart |
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BRÖDERNA LEJONHJÄRTA ohj. | dir. Olle Hellbom 1977 |
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