The latest film from Lasse Hallström, the beloved director of My Life as a Dog and What’s Eating Gilbert Grape?, is a family affair as his wife Lena Olin and daughter Tora Hallström both play Swedish artist Hilma af Klint (1862-1944), at different times in her life. It’s a fascinating exploration into the enigmatic life of Hilma, a theosophist, who is now widely recognized as one of the Western world’s first abstract artists, although her unconventional and highly spiritual art remained fairly unknown for decades. Hilma grew up as a scientifically curious girl. After the death of her beloved younger sister, her interest in spiritual and philosophical ideas grew. While attending the Royal Academy of Fine Arts, she meets a circle of female artists that share her passion. Together they found “The Five” and created occult practices in an attempt to communicate with the spirits of the higher world. –Alissa Simon
Director Biography
Lasse Hallström is one of the most successful directors in Swedish history. His many films include My Life as a Dog (1985), for which he was nominated for Best Director and Screenplay, The Cider House Rules (1999), nominated for Best Director; Chocolat (2000), The Hoax (2006), and A Dog’s Purpose (2017). Hilma (2022) is his most recent film.