Directed by Bo Widerberg • 1969 • Sweden
Starring Peter Schildt, Kerstin Tidelius, Roland Hedlund
One of Bo Widerberg’s most explicitly political works imbues the true story of a 1931 labor strike with a powerful contemporary resonance. In the industrial district of Ådalen, in the north of Sweden, a peaceful demonstration takes a tragic turn, leading to a historic general strike. Amid these events, the teenage Kjell (Peter Schildt) experiences sacrifice and strife, love and loss, and the consequences of this shocking violence. Working once again with ELVIRA MADIGAN cinematographer Jörgen Persson—who captures shimmering, light-filled images in graceful widescreen—Widerberg entwines a stirring portrait of resistance with an intimate coming-of-age journey for a vision of history that feels vibrantly, urgently alive.
Up Next in Bo Widerberg’s New Swedish Cinema
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The Boy and the Kite
Directed by Bo Widerberg • 1962 • Sweden
Made in 1962 in Malmö, Sweden, THE BOY AND THE KITE (Pojken och draken) is Bo Widerberg’s first short film. Based on Widerberg’s script, it was codirected and shot by filmmaker Jan Troell on a 16 mm Paillard camera.
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Jörgen Persson on Bo Widerberg
In this interview, conducted in 2021, cinematographer Jörgen Persson discusses director Bo Widerberg and working with him on ELVIRA MADIGAN and ÅDALEN 31.
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Bo Widerberg on “Filmrutan,” 1967
In September 1967, to coincide with the release of ELVIRA MADIGAN, Bo Widerberg was a guest on the Swedish television program “Filmrutan.” For the occasion, a roundtable composed of children quizzed the director about his film.
