When we first encounter Maria Larsson (Maria Heiskanen), she is a mother and the wife of Sigfrid (Mikael Persbrant), a hard-working, hard-drinking manual laborer. Although generally a good fellow, Sigfrid can become a tyrant when he has imbibed too much - something that happens with increasing regularity. Maria thinks about leaving him but words from her dying father about the sanctity of marriage keep her at home. The film then follows her through good times and bad (more of the latter than the former), through war and peace (although Sweden stayed neutral during World War I), and through the births of many children. Maria's constant companion during these years is her camera, which she nearly sells at one point to put food on the table and which later becomes the means by which she earns money while her husband is in prison. Although she never fully grasps the artistic implications of her photography, she grows into her talent and, without realizing it, leaves behind images of simple beauty that will never fade.
Director:
Jan Troell
Year:
2008
Country:
Swe
Cast:
Maria Heiskanen, Mikael Persbrandt, Jesper Christensen
Classification:
M
Certification:
VL