Becoming Astrid

Unga Astrid

L

Genre

Drama, Biography

Director

Pernille Fischer Christensen

Run time

2h 3min

Cast

Alba August, Trine Dyrholm, Maria Bonnevie

ASTRID has led a carefree life with her siblings in the forests and fields of her childhood home in Småland. But now, a young woman, she yearns for adult life, love and a future in the wider world. This initially leads her to the local newspaper and its charismatic editor BLOMBERG, who recognises his young intern’s writing talent, not to mention her youth and wit. He falls head over heels in love with her and, despite being old enough to be her father, Astrid responds.

The repercussions quickly become serious when Astrid falls pregnant. Blomberg is married and in the throes of a divorce. He promises to marry her, but for now her situation must remain a secret, 1920s Vimmerby would be scandalised. But with her growing belly Astrid can’t bear to bring shame on her parents, so she leaves her childhood home and goes to Copenhagen to give birth to her son, LASSE, in secrecy, and then reluctantly leaves him in the care of a foster mother, MARIE.

Astrid goes into self-imposed exile in Stockholm, in the end refusing Blomberg’s offer of marriage, and now Astrid leads a hand-to-mouth existence, saving up her paltry salary for the short but life-giving visits to see Lasse and Marie.

Astrid’s separation from her son causes her untold agony. Lasse becomes attached to Marie, and Astrid cannot bear to tear him away from the life he knows and loves, but Marie becomes seriously ill and must give up caring for him. Astrid brings Lasse to Stockholm, where mother and son must try to connect. It is by no means easy. But Astrid’s imagination, creativity and flair for story-telling slowly brings them together. She can finally return home to Vimmerby hand in hand with her son, a grown woman who has seen dark times but who has emerged with a new-found courage that later on will form the foundations of a vast and beloved body of work.

Genre

Drama, Biography

Director

Pernille Fischer Christensen

Run time

2h 3min

Cast

Alba August, Trine Dyrholm, Maria Bonnevie

ASTRID has led a carefree life with her siblings in the forests and fields of her childhood home in Småland. But now, a young woman, she yearns for adult life, love and a future in the wider world. This initially leads her to the local newspaper and its charismatic editor BLOMBERG, who recognises his young intern’s writing talent, not to mention her youth and wit. He falls head over heels in love with her and, despite being old enough to be her father, Astrid responds.

The repercussions quickly become serious when Astrid falls pregnant. Blomberg is married and in the throes of a divorce. He promises to marry her, but for now her situation must remain a secret, 1920s Vimmerby would be scandalised. But with her growing belly Astrid can’t bear to bring shame on her parents, so she leaves her childhood home and goes to Copenhagen to give birth to her son, LASSE, in secrecy, and then reluctantly leaves him in the care of a foster mother, MARIE.

Astrid goes into self-imposed exile in Stockholm, in the end refusing Blomberg’s offer of marriage, and now Astrid leads a hand-to-mouth existence, saving up her paltry salary for the short but life-giving visits to see Lasse and Marie.

Astrid’s separation from her son causes her untold agony. Lasse becomes attached to Marie, and Astrid cannot bear to tear him away from the life he knows and loves, but Marie becomes seriously ill and must give up caring for him. Astrid brings Lasse to Stockholm, where mother and son must try to connect. It is by no means easy. But Astrid’s imagination, creativity and flair for story-telling slowly brings them together. She can finally return home to Vimmerby hand in hand with her son, a grown woman who has seen dark times but who has emerged with a new-found courage that later on will form the foundations of a vast and beloved body of work.

Info

Rating

For All Audiences

Production year

2018

Global distributor

Estinfilm OÜ

Local distributor

Estinfilm OÜ

In cinema

9/28/2018