Directed by Jan Troell
This Swedish film takes you to the early part of the twentieth century to spend some time with the Larsson family as they struggle to survive on a minimal wage with an increasing number of children. It was a grim time when employment was uncertain, socialist ideals encouraged workers to strike and men ruled their families with iron fists. Whilst her husband, dock-worker Sigfrid Larsson (Michael Persbrandt), is busy drinking and womanising, Maria (Maria Heiskanen) discovers a new world when she wins a camera in a lottery.
The film covers a number of years and the birth of seven children and is really about capturing happy memories despite life’s realities. Troell’s wife Agneta based the screenplay on the life of her grandmother whose sepia photographs she no doubt has. Although the colours of the film are muted, the violence is not. It is sometimes difficult to watch the violence and struggle to understand the forces that led to Maria remaining in the marriage, particularly when there was obvious interest from the proprietor of the local camera shop who tells her that ‘not everyone is endowed with the gift of seeing’.
The beauty of Maria’s photographs, in many ways, contrast with the ongoing hardships she has to endure and her eldest daughter Maja (Callin Ohrvall), who narrates the film, is puzzled as to why she stays. Maybe the opening scene with all the intricacies of interconnecting clockwork gears sheds some light. Knowing the mechanisms of how images are captured, or relationships are structured does not necessarily give you any insight as to how the final product is arrived at. Nominated in the foreign film category in this year’s Oscars, Everlasting moments is a delight. It is the last of the Perth International Arts Festival films and screens at Somerville 13-19 April.
Lezly Herbert
