Pelle the Conqueror (1987)

Original title

Pelle Erobreren

Directed by

Bille August

Genre

drama film, coming-of-age film

Country

Denmark, Sweden

Runtime

2h 37m

Rated

11

Rating

7.3 of 10 from 164 voters

Elsewhere

IMDb

How it feels

A Swedish father and son move to Denmark in the late 1800s to escape poverty. The boy, Pelle, grows up on a large farm and tries to find his place in a world that is often cruel.

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What happens

Pelle the Conqueror (Danish: Pelle Erobreren, Swedish: Pelle Erövraren) is a 1987 epic film co-written and directed by Bille August, based upon the 1906 novel of the same name by Danish writer Martin Andersen Nexø. The film tells the story of two Swedish immigrants to Denmark, a father and son, who try to build a new life for themselves. It stars Pelle Hvenegaard as the young Pelle, with Max von Sydow as his father, and also features Axel Strøbye and Astrid Villaume. A co-production of Denmark and Sweden, August chose to adapt Boyhood, the first part of Nexø's novel, seeking to make an epic and citing the novel's status as essential reading in Denmark. Pelle Hvenegaard was 11 when he was cast, after some 3,000 children auditioned. Like many other boys in Denmark, he was named by his family for the novel's eponymous character. The film screened at the 1988 Cannes Film Festival and the New York Film Festival. It was critically acclaimed, winning the Palme d'Or and the 1988 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, and numerous other honours. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

Trailer

More like this

• Babette's Feast (1987)
• Friends Forever (1987)
• Little Big Girl (2002)
• Pelle Leaves Home (1990)
• The Hideaway (1991)
• The Girl (1987)
• Mødrehjælpen af idag (1987)
• Ta' Pelle med (1952)