Elle n'a dansé qu'un seul été

Swedish classic with Ulla Jacobsson and Folke Sundquist

A student (Folke Sundquist as Göran) from the city comes to work in the country over the summer. He quickly finds a connection and falls in love with the enchanting farm girl Kerstin (Ulla Jacobsson). Even if Uncle Persson (Edvin Adolphson) has sympathy for the young people, not all villagers see it that way. The priest (John Elfström) preaches powerfully against the depravity of youth. But the lovers enjoy their summer of happiness with its bright nights and skinny dipping together. Until a serious accident occurs...

This Swedish film (1951) by Arne Mattson hit like a bomb. Back then, nudity on the screen was still an outrageous sensation, and it was staged so beautifully and naturally and innocently. By the way, the film was produced by the traditional Nordisk Film, which is still active as a mini-major in the film business today. HON DANSADE EN SOMMAR was awarded the Golden Bear at the 1952 Berlinale. Ulla Jacobsson (1929-1982) then also appeared in German-language films. Folke Sundquist (1925-2009) was also in the Ingmar Bergman classic SMULTRONSTÄLLET, which won the Golden Bear in 1958. Berlin has certainly brought Folke Sundquist luck.

A beautiful film that touches the heart and celebrates the Swedish summer!

I saw this movie the first time yesterday. I´ve had the tape for about two years, but I was not so interested in it. But now I´m very glad about having watched it, because it is a great, old-fashioned love story containing a warm kind of romance, you cannot find in actual movies. The story is quite simple: student from the city falls in love with girl from the country. She is not allowed to love him, but nevertheless they do...

The scene, showing both naked taking a bath in a beautiful swedish lake, caused 1951 a scandal. Funny, about what harmless stuff people got annoyed in former times... 9/10

This is a simple "boy meets girl" "parents/adults don't understand us" film, but a very well done one. Ulla Jacobsson is captivating in the lead. I like her performance here better than in "Smiles of a Summer Night", although the latter is the better film. I also found "One Summer of Happiness" interesting for what it said about post-war Sweden. Well done.

This film was upon it´s release subject to much attention, not only in Sweden, but across most of Europe. This perhaps not due to any particular cineastic greatness but rather the rather candid nude swimming scene (perhaps the first in a non-adult feature film making it past the scissors of the censors) which sparked somewhat of an outcry amongst morality watchdogs.

In short, this film acted as sort of a springbord for a new wave of filmmaking in nothern Europe.

I saw the movie in Hungary with my girl friend in 1955. I was 21 years old and she was 19. My girl friend was a simple little girl who never was yet in love with anybody. She loved me very much and I started to love her after the ending of a previous affair with a girl who left me for a wealthy man. She was so similar to Kerstin. She became my Kerstin. I even called her in my mind Kerstin and those who knew us and saw the movie also called her Kerstin. (It was a very popular movie in Hungary and many people saw it). The movie had the greatest impression on us, ..even more so on me.. The story of true love. I fall in love with my Kerstin and married her a year later....49 years ago. I still love my Kerstin. I would love to buy the movie in DVD or in any other format. Could anybody help? Is it available?