The Nordic & Baltic Oscar Contenders series at Scandinavia House returns this season with select in-house and virtual screenings of films chosen by the Nordic & Baltic countries to compete for the Oscar nomination for the Best International Feature Film. On December 6 at Scandinavia House, see the Swedish documentary The Most Beautiful Boy in the World/ Världens vackraste pojke (dir. Kristian Petri & Kristina Lindstrom, Sweden, 2021). Following the screening, actress Isabella Rossellini will join us with directors Kristian Petri & Kristina Lindstrom for a film Q&A.

In 1971 at the world premiere of Death in Venice in London, Italian director Luchino Visconti proclaimed Björn Andrésen, the teen star of his latest film, “the most beautiful boy in the world.” Just 16 at the time when the film came out, Andrésen was unprepared for instantly becoming an international celebrity. Fifty years later, Björn looks back on his life, in a story of a boy who was thrust to international stardom for his iconic looks and lived a life of glamour as well as heartbreak. (94 min. In Swedish, English, French, Italian, and Japanese with English subtitles)

“Haunting… a psychologically probing portrait”—New York Times
“One of the few documentaries to dwell so gravely and persuasively on how sudden fame can ruin a young life, bypassing any perks of stardom”—Vogue

Tickets to this event must be purchased in advance online at the link above; film screenings will take place in Victor Borge Hall. All attendees are required to present proof of vaccination upon arrival in compliance with New York State government; read more here. Attendees are required to follow all Scandinavia House safety protocols, including wearing masks during the program and observing social distancing rules in signage. Please read our full safety protocols here.

This film has been supported by the Consulate General of Sweden, New York.

ABOUT THE DIRECTORS

Kristina Lindström (director) is a filmmaker, journalist, and author. She has worked at SVT as a producer, project manager, and filmmaker. She has directed highly acclaimed documentaries about some of Sweden’s most famous names and faces, including Astrid (2014) and Palme (with Maud Nycander, 2012). Among others, Lindström has been awarded The Publicists big award, the Linné Prize, Kristallen, Stockholm’s Culture Prize, and the Ikaros Award.

Kristian Petri (director) is a filmmaker, writer, and culture journalist with a distinctly personal voice that transcends genre and form. Petri won Best Direction at the Guldbagge Awards for his first feature film, Between Summers (1995), which was selected for the prestigious Quinzaine des Realisateurs in Cannes. Many of his films, including The Well (2005), Details (2003), and Tokyo Noise (2002) have been critically celebrated and have been nominated for and received a number of national and international awards.