After 3 highly successful screenings, with sold out houses and long Q & A’s with the director Lisa Ohlin, SIMON AND THE OAKS was selected by the audience as one of the “Best of the fest” films.
The Guldbagge Awards jury today nominated Lisa Ohlin’s SIMON AND THE OAKS in no less than 13 categories, which is more nominations than any film has ever received throughout the 48 year history of the award. The nominations include Best Film, Best Director and Best Actress (Helene Sjöholm). The Guldbagge Awards, also known as the Swedish Oscars, will take place in Stockholm on January 23rd.
All Guldbagge Award nominations for SIMON AND THE OAKS:
Best Film
Best Director (Lisa Ohlin)
Best Cinematography (Dan Laustsen)
Best Actress (Helene Sjöholm)
Best Supporting Actress (Cecilia Nilsson)
Best Supporting Actor (Jan Josef Leifers)
Best Editing (Michal Leszczylowski and Kasper Leick)
Best Costume (Kajsa Watkins)
Best Sound (Jason Luke)
Best Makeup (Linda Boije af Gennäs)
Best Soundtrack (Annette Focks)
Best Scenography (Anders Engelbrecht, Lena Selander and Folke Strömbäck)
Best Visual Effects (Marcus B Brodersen and Lars-Eric Hansen)
SIMON AND THE OAKS went straight to the top of the box office charts after its domestic premiere on Dec 9th!
Also, lead actor Bill Skarsgård was chosen by the Berlin jury as one of the Shooting Stars of 2012, after having seen his outstanding performance as Simon.
Lisa Ohlin directed Simon and the Oaks, based on Marianne Fredriksson’s acclaimed novel. For Lisa, the film became highly personal since she understands what family secrets really cost.
The director (me): And then you walk that way and say your lines…
Little Simon (Jonathan): But we came from this direction??
Me: …. Oh?… ehhh … Then go the other way.
Mild confusion on the set of “Simon and the Oaks”.
Krister Henriksson stars as a famous talk show host returning home to his dark past, where he meets his childhood sweetheart. Original story.
August 5, 2005
93 min
Tillfällig fru sökes
“Seeking Temporary Wife”
Director and Co-writer
2003
Frederik longs to be a father and have children of his own. In order to adopt a child, he fakes a marriage but falls in love with his adoption agent. Original story.
September 5, 2003
93 min
Simon och ekarna / Simon and The Oaks
Director Lisa Ohlin 2011 The epic and grand story of a young boy with a hidden identity , during the second WW in Sweden. Based on a best selling book.
December 9, 2011 (Sweden)
122 min
Some reviews:
New York Times By David Dewitt
Oct. 11, 2012
With its exhilarating World War II narrative and performances that touch notes intimate and grand, “Simon and the Oaks” has an exquisite, and epic, ache.
Oct. 18, 2012
“Simon and the Oaks” is a two-hour theatrical feature that has the kind of emotional and storytelling reach regularly found these days only in cable TV miniseries. It’s a warmly done family and personal drama that seems to cover familiar territory, but only up to a point and very much in its own way.
But “Simon” didn’t get to be a major success at the Swedish box office and the recipient of a record 13 nominations for the Guldbagge Awards, Sweden’s Oscars, by being strictly business as usual.
Rather, as directed by Lisa Ohlin from a script by Marnie Blok, “Simon” provides unexpected textures and twists for its story, and supplies so many dramatic situations and scenes that by the time it’s over we feel we’ve lived through it along with its characters. The emotion is plentiful here, but the film rarely hits situations harder than it should, thanks in part to expert acting that resulted in three Guldbagge nominations and two victories.
Thomas returns from the war in Afghanistan as a double amputee. In the hospital, he meets Sofie, a ballet dancer. Contrary to his beliefs, she turns out to be the fighter that challenges him to walk again.
April 7, 2016 (Denmark)
109 mins
Beck – Den gråtande polisen
2021: Beck – The crying policeman
Director: Lisa Ohlin (incl. Additional Scriptwriting) Running time: 2 x 90 minutes Producer: Filmlance International, Sweden for TV4/Cmore and German ZDF
The long running and world renowned Scandi Noir series based on Maj Sjöwalls and Per Wahlöös books, about an older seasoned murder investigator and his colleagues. Shooting in Stockholm.
2021: Beck: 2 x 90 minute films: “58 minutes” and “The crying policeman”
Beck – Döden i Samarra (2021)
Sthlm Requiem
Sthlm Requiem
2018
Produced by Sparkfilm for Sweden, Belgium and German, Sthlm Requiem is a stylish and dark series following the unconventional criminologist Fredrika Bergman and her investigative group.
90 mins
Beck - Den förlorade sonen
Beck – Den förlorade sonen
Veranda för en tenor
“Waiting for The Tenor”
Director and Co-writer
1998
Krister Henriksson in a tale about two brothers fighting for the truth about their past, before it’s too late. Based on a short story.
September 11, 1998 (Sweden)
97 min
Nattens barn
“Children of The Night”
Co-writer and Director
1996
A four-part mini-series created for SVT Drama (Swedish National Television).
Set in the 1970’s, two teenage girls crave more from life than choosing the right color lipstick and chasing boyfriends.
November 4, 1995
4 x 28m
Familjen
“The Family”
Director
2002
A two-part mini-series created for SVT (Swedish National TV).
On the surface, Herman and Fanny have a perfect marriage. Until the police are at the door. Herman is suspected of aggravated tax fraud.
March 5, 2002 (Sweden)
2 x 52m
Wallander: Sorgfågeln
“Wallander: The Sad Bird”
Director and additional scriptwriter
2013
The last episode of the series, where Krister Henriksson and I again team up to portray Kurt Wallander’s sad farewell to his long career as a detective. Original story based on the character Wallander.
June 21, 2014
90 mins
Kvalster
“Mites”
Headwriter and Director
2005
A four-part mini-series created for SVT (Swedish National Television) about a housewife and stripper who hate each other but team up to open a cleaning service when the cash flow is low.