Film Forum

Sweden, 1963
Written and Directed by Bo Widerberg
Starring Inger Taube, Thommy Berggren, Lars Passgård
Approx. 95 min.

Widerberg’s feature debut follows Britt, a restless young woman torn between two immature men—Björn, a needy intellectual, and Robban, a freewheeling musician. With its street photography and modern style, it was clearly influenced by the French New Wave. The drama centers on Britt’s pregnancy and her bold decision to raise her baby alone. The lively cinematography is by future director Jan Troell.

with The Boy and His Kite
Sweden, 1962
Written and Directed by Bo Widerberg, Jan Troell
Starring Ale Möller, Bodil Mathiasson, Ulla Greta-Starck
Approx. 30 min.

Collaborating with Jan Troell, Widerberg first made his mark as a director with this short film about a boy’s day with his difficult father, flying kites at the beach. Widerberg claims inspiration from John Cassavetes’ SHADOWS, saying it showed him “that you could treat a camera like a pencil, you could take it anywhere.”

Reviews

“Widerberg is constantly trying to engage one’s participation and curiosity by means of fragmented scenes and images... Moments of vicious anarchic humor punctuate the affair between Britt and Robban.”
 – Peter Cowie

“It is a defiant film that demands that its characters and its audience look at the world in a different way... Its hope is hard won and fiercely unsentimental.”
– Adam Bingham, Cinéaste

“A bold first step in Widerberg’s mission to create a cinema that is both engaged and engaging.”
– Criterion