Everlasting Moments (Jan Troell, 2008): Sweden

Reviewed by Kevin Tran. Viewed at the Santa Barbara Film Festival.

A film festival forms a community that allows total strangers united by the common goal of watching good films. If you have ever stood alone in line for a screening at a film festival, you have probably been asked, “Have you seen any good films?” followed by the question, “What’s your favorite film you’ve seen at the festival?” I was asked this three times near the end of the Santa Barbara Film Festival and every time I gave them the same answer:  Everlasting Moments

The film centers on Maria (Maria Herskarien), a woman whose life strictly revolves around her family. That is, until she wins a camera that will change the way she sees the world. Photography allows Maria the chance to do something she is inherently good at, but at the same time, she has her hands full with a family that is only growing larger and a husband, Sigfrid (Mikael Persbrandt), who is an abusive drunkard.

What director Jan Troell does so wonderfully in film is to bring out the uniqueness in ordinary people. A story of a Swedish family set around and during the years of World War I. The plot is stretched over many years, but Troell navigates through the family’s history and picks out decisive, intimate moments to share with the audience. She makes us fall in love with everyone of the characters by revealing scenes of conflict, embarrassment, passion, and love.

It is a shame that Everlasting Moments was not included as an Oscar nominee for best foreign film, and is not going to get recognize for its outstanding cinematography and art direction. The film is reminiscent to Bergman’s Fanny & Alexander, whose depicts a Swedish family at the beginning of the 1900s. There is incredible unity in both film, that is joined by great performances and stunning photography of an intricate family history.