An orphan, Josefa, runs away from her threatening uncle with whom she is living, and stows away on traveller Fændrik's boat. She is no better off with him, however, as he forces himself on her and makes her steal and beg for a living. Meanwhile Fændrik's sister, who has been left penniless on shore by her deceitful brother, joins forces with Josefa's fiancé, Oscar, in a search for the missing pair.
Acting
Sonja Wigert's silent suffering—devastating without melodrama.
Cinematography
Mist-choked fjords that feel like prison walls.
Director
Tancred Ibsen
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Tancred Ibsen was grandson of Henrik Ibsen; this film carries that legacy of social critique into Norwegian cinema's first wave.
Shot in 1937 but feels closer to Italian neorealism—probably because Rossellini was watching films like this.
NO
