12/12/2008

The 77-year-old Swedish living legend Jan Troell – who won two Golden Globes in 1973, for The Emigrants and its sequel The New Land – has a chance to win another statuette from the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.

His latest sweeping drama, Everlasting Moments [+see also:
trailer
film profile], was announced yesterday as one of five titles running for Best Foreign Language Film at the 66th Golden Globes, to be awarded in Hollywood on January 11.

“It's really great,” said Troell. “When I heard that the film had been nominated I felt exhilarated and went straight to the bookshelf, where I looked up at Golden Globe in the National Encyclopedia. I read that foreign entertainment journalists have been giving out the award since 1944. I'd won a Golden Globe earlier, but it was such a long time ago,” he joked.

Troell’s new film, based on the life of his wife’s grandmother, is a true epic about a working-class woman who discovers intellectual freedom and a true passion after winning a Comtessa camera in a lottery. The script was co-written by Troell, his wife Agneta Ulfsäter Troell and Niklas Rådström.

Launched last September in the US at the Telluride Film Festival, where Troell was the subject of a tribute, the film was an instant hit with the American audiences and was picked up for distribution by IFC Films. Finnish actress Maria Heiskanen won a Best Actress award at Spain’s Valladolid International Film Festival last month.

Produced by Thomas Stenderup in Denmark (Final Cut) with Christer Nilsson in Sweden (Göta Film), in co-production with Norway (Motlys AS), Finland (Blind Spot) and Germany (Schneider Gross Filmproduktion), the film was uniquely supported 50-50 by the Swedish and Danish film institutes. It is representing Sweden at the Oscars nominations.

Everlasting Moments is currently playing in Sweden, Finland, Denmark and Norway through Sandrew Metronome, while TrustNordisk handles world sales.