Stockholm, in the 1950s. Erik is expelled from the local school for getting into one brawl too many. To protect Erik from his violent stepfather’s reaction to his expulsion, Erik's mother arranges for Erik to spend a year at Stjärnsberg Boarding School, the only school willing to accept him. This is Erik's last chance to graduate to Upper School and he promises his mother, for his and her sake, to do all he can to stay out of trouble.
Acting
Andreas Wilson's simmering restraint as Erik — rage barely contained.
Direction
Håfström's cold, institutional framing makes the school a prison.
Director
Mikael Håfström
Andreas Wilson
Erik Ponti
Henrik Lundström
Pierre Tanguy
Gustaf Skarsgård
Otto Silverhielm
Linda Zilliacus
Marja
Jesper Salén
Dahlén
Mats Bergman
Melander
Johan Rabaeus
Eriks styvfar
Marie Richardson
Fru Ponti, Eriks mor
Lennart Hjulström
Rektor Lindblad
Björn Granath
Rektor
Filip Berg
Johan
Ulf Friberg
Tranströmer
Kjell Bergqvist
Ekengren
Fredrik af Trampe
von Schenken
Peter Eggers
Von Rosen
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Based on Jan Guillou's semi-autobiographical novel; Guillou was expelled from the real school depicted.
Sweden banned corporal punishment in schools in 1958, making this a historical end-of-era document. The film sparked national debate about suppressed institutional memory.
SE
