Published 7 October 2021 at 17.21
Film. In Jan Troell's classic film adaptation of The Emigrants from the 1970s, Karl Oskar is the main character. But when the Norwegian director Erik Poppe now makes a new film adaptation of the novels, he has chosen to base them on stories from immigrant women from the third world instead of sticking to Vilhelm Moberg's books.
Like the article p & aring; Facebook
When Poppe was offered to make a new film adaptation of The Emigrants, he was at first hesitant to take on a work by Vilhelm Moberg.
But when he read the books, which revolve around the young couple Karl Oskar and Kristina and their children, he realized that the plot actually describes a family who “dreams of a better life” in another country. And then he got the urge to make a film based on today's social welfare recipients from the third world.
– I discovered when I read them that there is actually a story about the world today, he says to NRK.
Instead of Karl Oskar, Poppe has appointed Kristina as the main character, as a parallel to today's immigrant women from the third world.
“It is no secret that Kristina is fighting to become integrated in the US. And Poppe sat down to interview immigrant women to understand,” writes NRK.
Poppe tells NRK that today's immigrant women in the Nordic countries often have “at least two or three jobs” and that people do not know about this, but that he intends to take the chance to educate the public in how it is. The purpose is to use the tax-funded film art to accomplish something political.
– This is a great opportunity to highlight this story. Not least in the Nordic countries with the polarized debate. Either you are for immigration or you are against. But often you do not know enough about the people you are talking about, and here art can play a role, says Poppe to NRK.
Poppe is open about the fact that he will not make a remake of the novels, but a “new interpretation” of Moberg's work. When the names The Emigrants and Vilhelm Moberg are used, it is therefore, one might argue, a type of false marketing.
The cultural Marxist version of the Emigrants has a world premiere on Christmas Day.