

The teenaged Astrid Lindgren (Alba August) leads a carefree life with her family in rural Sweden. Eager to break free from her strict religious upbringing, she accepts an internship at a local newspaper where she attracts the attention of its married editor, Blomberg (Henrik Rafaelsen). When Astrid becomes pregnant, she is forced to leave her childhood home for Copenhagen to secretly give birth to a son, Lasse, whom she reluctantly leaves with a foster mother, Marie (Trine Dyrholm). Astrid goes into self-imposed exile in Stockholm, refusing Blomberg's offer of marriage but saving up her paltry salary for visits to see her son. When Marie falls ill, Astrid uses her imagination and flair for storytelling to reconnect with her child. In spite of her struggles, she emerges with a newfound courage that will form the foundation of a vast and beloved body of work.
- Director: Pernille Fischer Christensen
- Country: Sweden | Denmark
- Genre: Biography | Drama
- Year: 2018
- Run Time: 02:03:00
- imdb Score: 7.3/10 (637 votes)
- Language: Swedish, Danish
- Rating: Not Rated
- Cast: Trine Dyrholm, Bjorn Gustafsson, Magnus Krepper, Maria Bonnevie
Michael O'Sullivan - WASHINGTON POST
"This film about an exemplary woman, made by women, is as much a pleasure as it is a lesson."
Glenn Kenny - ROGEREBERT.COM
"Hansen's relaxed camera movements and fuzzy-soft compositions are quite beautiful, and the performances - including the superb Trine Dyrholm as the baby's Danish foster mother - are pitch-perfect."
Jeannette Catsoulis - NEW YORK TIMES
"Christensen portrays Lindgren as a born storyteller but delves into the vital time in her development when confounding expectation gave way to building her own narrative."
Serena Donadoni - L.A. WEEKLY
Chicago Int'l Film Festival 2018
Best Foreign Language Film
Mill Valley Film Festival 2018
Audience Favorite
World Cinema
Silver Award
Scottsdale Int'l Film Festival 2018
Best Film
Scottsdale Int'l Film Festival 2018
Best Director - Pernille Fischer Christensen
Scottsdale Int'l Film Festival 2018
Best Actress in a Leading Role - Alba August
Transatlantyk Festival: Lodz 2018
Section
Berlin Int'l Film Festival 2018
Leiden Int'l Film Festival 2018
Zurich Film Festival 2018
European Art Cinema Day 2018
CPH PIX 2018