1939

"For many of us, the war meant the beginning of freedom."

1989 3h 13m SV

💀

4.9

SKIP

★4.9TMDB · 17

DramaWar

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

When the war breaks out, Annika lives with her parents in Värmland, close to the border to Norway. Her cousin Harald is a dealer in the black market but has to escape from the police to Norway. Annika moves to Stockholm and gets a job as a waitress. She meets the happy-go-lucky Berit and together they have a wonderful time. She also meets a young man, Bengt, whom she marries. But almost immediately she discovers that her husband is different from the man who was courting her. Plot by Mattias Thuresson.

“For many of us, the war meant the beginning of freedom.”

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Cast

Helene Egelund
Annika
Helena Bergström
Berit
Per Morberg
Bengt Hall
Ingvar Hirdwall
Annika's father
Anita Ekström
Annika's mother
Per Oscarsson
Isak
Per Grytt
Annika's brother
Johan Ulveson
Harald Persson

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Göran Carmback
Writers: Kjell Sundstedt, Catti Edfeldt, Brasse Brännström
Languages: English, Swedish
Countries: Sweden

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

At 193 minutes, this is a three-hour-plus commitment — longer than 95% of films ever made.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

37 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 2 languages: English, Swedish.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Göran Carmback, shot by Jens Fischer. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Anders Berglund. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Susanne Linnman shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Helene Egelund and Helena Bergström and Per Morberg carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "For many of us, the war meant the beginning of freedom.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Göran Carmback directs. Jens Fischer behind the camera. Anders Berglund scores. Susanne Linnman cuts. A long sit — settle in. Produced in Sweden. Dialogue in English, Swedish.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1At 193 minutes, this is a three-hour-plus commitment — longer than 95% of films ever made.
237 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
3Dialogue crosses 2 languages: English, Swedish.
4Directed by Göran Carmback, shot by Jens Fischer. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Anders Berglund. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Susanne Linnman shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Helene Egelund and Helena Bergström and Per Morberg carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "For many of us, the war meant the beginning of freedom.".
9IMDB entry: tt0096737 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Only 17 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.