The Emigrants (Utvandrarna) 

Wednesday, 21 May and Friday, 23 May:

The Emigrants (Utvandrarna)

A sweeping epic of courage and hope.

We’ll be screening Jan Troell’s monumental duo, “The Emigrants” (1971) and “The New Land” (1972), during May and June, respectively. Collectively, these films stand as a powerful and unflinching portrayal of the brutal realities and enduring trauma of 19th-century Swedish emigration to America. Far from romanticising the pursuit of a better life, Troell’s films meticulously depict the desperation born from crushing poverty and the gnawing absence of hope that propelled thousands to undertake such a perilous journey. These epic Swedish films, based on the novels by Vilhelm Moberg, tell the powerful and moving story of a group of impoverished farmers who make the arduous journey from 19th-century Sweden to the promise of a new life in America.

Through Jan Troell’s masterful storytelling and Sven Nykvist’s evocative cinematography, “The Emigrants” and “The New Land” offer a deeply human and profoundly moving account of the trauma inherent in migration. The films serve as a powerful reminder of the desperation that drives people to leave their homes and the enduring emotional and physical scars that such a monumental upheaval can leave behind. They are not simply historical dramas; they are timeless explorations of the human cost of poverty and the enduring search for a place to belong.

Full review: https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-emigrants-1973