A Serious Game is the story of a young couple, the journalist Arvid Stjärnblom and Lydia Stille, who fall madly in love. They are both drawn to the dream of pure, great and untainted love. Yet, the dream demands greater sacrifice than they could ever imagine.
A passionate and fiery love story about the choices we have and the ones we don’t, the choices we make and the consequences that follow. Directed by Pernilla August (Sweden, Denmark, Norway, 2016).
“This adaptation of Hjalmar Söderberg’s 1912 novel The Serious Game is a visual delight”—ScreenDaily
“The somewhat familiar tale of ruinous extramarital passion is elevated by the film’s visual restraint — a cool Nordic palette of creams and pale grays framed in Academy ratio — and the solid performances from actors unafraid to commit to their frequently unlikable characters.”—IndieWire
About the director
Swedish actress, screenwriter, and director Pernilla August was discovered by Ingmar Bergman who chose her to star in his 1982 film Fanny and Alexander. Ten years later August won the Golden Palm for Best Actress at the Cannes Film Festival for The Best Intentions, a film written by Bergman and directed by her second husband, Bille August. Some of her stand out acting roles include the role of Anna in Liv Ullman’s Private Confessions (1996) and Karin in Jerusalem (1996).
August is well known in the United States for playing Shimi Skywalker, the mother of Anikan Skywalker, in Star Wars Episode I & Episode II. She made her directorial debut in 2010 with Beyond, starring Noomi Rapace and Ola Rapace. The film was selected as the Swedish entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 84th Academy Awards. A Serious Game is her second feature-length film as a director.
New Nordic Cinema
1490985000
1490997600
Image courtesy of the Swedish Film Institute
WED—3-31-2017—6:30 PM
$12 ($7 ASF Members)
115 min. In Swedish with English subtitles.