Elina - Som om jag inte fanns

The film Elina - Som om jag inte fanns is set in the early 1950 when poverty was common in rural northern Sweden. A young girl named Elina who had recovered from tuberculosis wandered to the moor everyday where she spoke to her dead father, because unlike her indifferent teacher Ms. Holm, he might be the only "person" that would listen to young Elina….

Elina - Som om jag inte fanns is a Sweden- Finnish film. The story of the film is universal, although it sets in the area on the Swedish side of border between Finland and Sweden. Except for the lack of ornamentation, it is a sweet story focusing on dimensions of people. This film treats children's world of mind in a much careful and understanding way. Elina is a gentle, innocent character who is a isolated from others and the society. The acting is quite convincing and the story thought provoking. Overall, I highly recommend this film to people who care about childrent's worlds.

This a film that actually moved me.

First of all because it's a Finnish film. And also a good

Second of all because it is about a minority in society.

It's quite interesting that today Swedish is a minority in Finland.. So if a film like this was done today it could be about an other minority.. many things have changed since the fifties..

One thing that really spoke to me was that the girl was so determined and brave to always do the right thing. I wish I had her courage!

It is a fantastic movie, worth seeing..For everybody who wants something to think about.

-Lotta

I saw this at the Newport Film Festival in 2003 and am bewildered and dismayed that it is not (yet?) out in DVD. First of all, viewers unfamiliar with this geographical area will be introduced, through stunning cinematography, to the magical landscape of this part of northern Sweden. If you thought you could not love a bog, you will start searching, like me, for a coffee table book on "Bogs, Fens, and Marshes," (I made that up -someone publish this book, please!) The story is compelling, thoughtfully and superbly rendered by cast, writer, director, and all involved. A little girl struggles with grief over the loss of her father, "talking" to him in the bogs she is forbidden to visit (they are very dangerous if you don't know how to navigate them), but knows he loved. Life is made especially hard for her in school by a female teacher totally lacking in compassion and understanding of the loss she is dealing with, and who seems fixated on her students speaking Swedish ONLY, rather than Finnish, which many of them speak as their native language. The relationship between the little girl and her teacher comes to an extremely gripping, moving, touching climax which will undoubtedly surprise the audience. Humanity pours out of this film, especially this "stand-off" between teacher and pupil which washes the audience in awe of what film can do. I did not even realize this film was for children. I am 42, a movie connoisseur, especially foreign films, and this is on my top ten list. It is a gem, and why it has not come out on DVD is a total mystery to me. If anyone knows how to obtain a copy of this film, please post this information! A movie of similar caliber that I would suggest is "The Color of Milk," (Norway/Sweden) (2002).

ELINA - AS IF I WASN'T HERE Sweden in the early 1950s. Elina is a member of the Finnish-speaking minority living in northern Sweden. Her father, whom she loved dearly, died of tuberculosis a few years ago. Out in the moor just behind her house, Elina believes that she can still talk to her Dad. She is a very lonely girl. Because she was ill for so long, Elina is obliged to repeat a whole year at school. Her teacher,Ms.Holm, thinks that her new pupil is unkempt; she decides to take her in hand and turn her into neat and tidy schoolgirl.This entails speaking perfect Swedish, not using Finnish expressions and, above all, respecting persons of authority - especially her teacher. The shy Elina, proud and offended by so little attempt to understand her situation, rebels against the way Ms.Holm treats her. A battle of wills ensues, and Elina's only recourse is to refuse to cooperate. Nobody seems able to mediate between these two stubborn opponents.Again and again,Elina takes to wandering out into the moor to try and commune with her father. The situation becomes unbearable. Then, one day while out in the moor again, Elina sinks so deeply into the ground that it threatens to engulf her. At this moment Elina realises that she is not alone; she is loved and needed.When Elina goes to school the next morning, everything is quite different. Even Ms. Holm senses that her pupil will not be intimidated any longer.

I am used to action movies and to movies about the power of vengeance. This is a movie about the power of forgiveness. Everyone should see it.

It is photographed in northern Sweden in a very beautiful landscape. The actors, especially the little girl protagonist, are just great.