Kristin Lavransdatter

Colour, 35 mm
Norway, 1995, 185 min
Section: Norwegian Cinema
Oficiální stránky: www.nfi.no

Synopsis

Norway’s medieval history (14th century), in which the moral order was enforced by the strictures of Catholicism, is reflected in the life of a wealthy yeoman’s daughter. This portrait of the lovely Kristin begins in childhood, a happy phase with the notable exception of once being raped in the forest. The dishonoured girl takes refuge in a convent to wait until she grows up and is married to a local man to whom she is betrothed. But instead she is destined to fall in love with knight Erlend Nikulausson, a charming seducer who has already been stigmatized by an affair with a married woman. In defiance of everyone, Kristin insists that they marry; not even the suicide of Erlend’s former lover can stop her. Judged by all, the pair overcome the shameful scandal and start their life together supported by the unfaltering power of Kristin’s love. The dramatic course of their forthcoming coexistence is augured by a burnt-out church as a symbol of weakened spirituality and punishment for sin.

About the director

Liv Ullmann (b. 1938) was born in Tokyo to Norwegian parents, and before the family returned to Norway she lived for a time in the USA and Canada. She studied acting in London but debuted in film in Norway. In the most significant phase of her career, working with Swedish director Ingmar Bergman, she portrayed powerful female roles (Persona, Hour of the Wolf, Cries and Whispers, Autumn Sonata, etc.). She established herself as a feature director with Sofie (1992), and shot two subsequent films based on scripts written by Bergman: Private Confessions (1996) and Faithless (2000). The director approached the demanding epic Kristin Lavransdatter (1995), based on the novel by Nobel Prize-winner Sigrid Undset, as a project both highly personal and at the same time national. During shooting, she put to good use her ample acting experience and knowledge of Bergman’s directing work. As an added bonus, she asked Sven Nykvist to stand behind the lens. The film broke every Norwegian cinema attendance record.