Review of Brusten himmel (1982)
Seen in 2026.
13-year-old Erika lives with both of her parents in WW2-era rural Norrbotten and spends a lot of time with both of her grandmothers too. She has friends and enjoys unspoiled nature, but adult life is just around the corner, and her father is a complicated man. Among other things, he is a violent drunk, and a friend of the local constable.
Director Ingrid Thulin’s fragmentary memories of childhood run like a vein of silver through this otherwise aimless drama. There are many goood moments of humour and poignancy on the border between realism and childhood imagination. Tommy Berggren deserves special mention: Although he did much the same thing throughout his career, he does it well here, giving off an anguished and pitiful anarchic vibe together with a sense of menace that ties the movie together without dehumanizing him.