"Everlasting moments" by Jan Troell

FILM I SKÅNE + FILMPOOL NORD + FILMFÖRDERUNG HAMBURG SCHLESWIG-HOLSTEIN


The story of ”Everlasting moments” begins when Jan Troell one day sits down to read his wife Agneta Ulfsäter Troell’s draft of a book on her family history. Jan Troell gets so excited over the potential of the draft that he asks her if he couldn’t do a film of it instead. Agneta agrees and they write a treatment together.
Later Jan calls Thomas Stenderup from Final Cut Productions in Denmark -who at that time is working on a short film together with Jan Troell-, and asks him to read the treatment. Early next morning, Stenderup calls Troell back, saying it is the best set-up for a film he ever read. Said and done, the producer and the director is unanimous, let’s make the film!

Jan Troell's home ground is in region Skåne in the southern part of Sweden, and he was keen on shooting the film in his own garden, if possible. So when Stenderup started the tough work with finding financiers for the project, it was a matter of course to ask the regional film fund Film I Skåne. Regarding the fact that the film has a time intervall of 20 years, and it was considered of importance to have all the four seasons represented in the shooting, Filmpool Nord, located in north of Sweden, was another regional film fund, who was a self-evident candidate.
Both Film i Skåne and Filmpool Nord, two Cine-Regio members, was immediately enthusiastic by the project and decided both to support the project.

When Stenderup deciced to present the project to both the Swedish Film Institute and the Danish Filminstitute, it was a big breakthrough. Normally the institutes regard a film as either Danish or Swedish. This time, though, the two institutes ended up with recognising the project as equally Danish and Swedish, and they supported the film with equal amount. It has never happened before!, Stenderup exclaims.
Next step was applying for funding from Council of Europe’s co-production fund EURIMAGE. However, to Stenderups surprise, EURIMAGES did not want to support the project.
On the other hand, Filmförderung Hamburg Schleswig-Holstein, another Cine-Regio member, was interested in supporting the project. However, HSH had to await a decision by their decision committe (three meetings per year). Hence, it was not until mid-production Stenderup knew for sure whether the project would recieve funding.
In the end, we raised around 5 million euros from 26 financiers in five countries, Stenderup explains, and we secured distribution for the film across Scandinavia and in Germany.

Having regional film funds as co-financiers sets high requirements, says Stenderup, as the funds require that you spend a certain percent of the amount you receive in support in the region. The team, which was comprized of people from all Nordic countries and Germany, was moving from north of Sweden to north of Germany in order to avail of the locations needed and to meet the different regional funds criteria for financing.
In return, Stenderup says, you get to work with openhearted people with big generosity, great help from the local communities, fine agreements for all parties and much money, and he stresses; the support from the regional film funds is of outermost weight and without the regional film funds, this film would never have been made!

The project, from the first reading of the draft until today, has lasted for 3 ½ years, which is unusually quick for a historical drama feature film. Stenderup believes that great enthusiasm combined with the fact that Jan Troell is a well known director, has made this possible. As a producer, he consider this film as a ”once-in-a-lifetime film”.

Source: Cine-regio, June 2008
 

Facts ”Everlasting moments”

Synopsis

In Sweden in the early 1900s – in a time of social change and poverty – the young working class woman Maria wins a camera in a lottery and starts to lead a double life. The camera enables Maria to see the world through new eyes, but it also becomes a threat to her somewhat alcoholic womanizer of a husband, as it brings the charming photographer Pedersen into her life

Original Title: Maria Larsson’s evige øjeblik
English title: Everlasting moments
Original language: Swedish dialogue, English subtitles
Day of release: 24.10.2008
Genre: Historical drama
Director: Jan Troell
Screenplay: Niklas Rådström, Jan Troell, Agneta Ulfsäter Troell
Editor: Nils Pagh Andersen
Origin of production: Sweden/Denmark
Distribution Denmark: Sandrew Metronome Filmdistribution A/S
World sales: Trust Nordisk
Producer: Thomas Stenderup, Final Cut Productions
Co-producers, Göta Film/Motlys/Blind Spoth
Financers: Final Cut Productions ApS; Danish Film Institute (Lena Hansson Varhegyi) (DK); DR TV (DK); SVT (SE); Göta Film (SE); Swedish Film Institute (Marianne Ahrne & Lisa Ohlin) (SE); Film i Skåne AB (SE); Filmpool Nord AB (SE); Motlys Film (NO); NRK (NO); Blind Spot (FI); YLE (FI); Nordic Film & TV Fund, Schnedier + Groos Filmproduktion (DE); Filmförderung Hamburg Schleswig-Holstein (DE)

Cast:
Maria Heiskanen 
Jesper Christensen 
Mikael Persbrandt 
Amanda Ooms 
Hans Alfredson 
Maria Lundqvist 
Antti Reini 
Claire Wikholm 
Ann Petrén  

Awards and nominations:

2008, Vallodolid Film Festival, Spain
Awarded Best Actress, Best Photo

2008,Guldbaggen, Sweden
Awarded Best Picture, Best Actress in a leading role, Best Actor in a leading role, Best Actor in a supporting role, Best Composer