Tree of Knowledge (film)
| Tree of Knowledge | |
|---|---|
 Front cover of the Danish DVD for Tree of Knowledge | |
| Directed by | Nils Malmros |
| Written by | Nils Malmros |
| Produced by | Per Holst |
| Starring | Eva Gram Schjoldager Line Arlien-Søborg |
| Cinematography | Jan Weincke |
| Edited by | |
| Music by | Per Hillers Danseorkester Saratoga Jazzband |
| Distributed by | |
Release date |
|
Running time | 110 minutes |
| Country | Denmark |
| Language | Danish |
Tree of Knowledge (Danish: Kundskabens træ) is a 1981 Danish coming-of-age drama directed by Nils Malmros. The film details the lives of 17 teenage schoolmates in 1950s Denmark. Shooting on location at the high school which he had attended, Malmros took two years to film the action, so the cast members reflected the real-life physical and emotional development of their characters.[1]
Despite critical praise, Tree of Knowledge received only two awards: the Danish Film Critics Bodil Award for Jan Weincke's cinematography,[2] and the Audience Award at the Lübeck Nordic Film Festival. Tree of Knowledge is one of the top 100 Danish films listed by the Danish Film Institute and is one of ten films listed in the cultural canon of Denmark by the Danish Ministry of Culture.[3]
The film was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 1982 Cannes Film Festival[4] and was selected as the Danish entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 55th Academy Awards, but was not accepted as a nominee.[5]
Cast[]
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Eva Gram Schjoldager | Elin |
| Niels-Ole | |
| Line Arlien-Søborg | Anne-Mette |
| Elisabeth | |
| Lene | |
| Willy Bonde | |
| Class teacher | |
| Anne-Mette's mother | |
| Elin's mother | |
| Elin's father | |
| Maj-Britt | |
| Ina | |
| Jørn | |
| Flemming | |
| Helge | |
| Gert | |
| Torkild | |
| Søren Roland | |
| Kaj | |
| Hanne Sørensen | Mona |
| Gås | |
| Joan | |
| Loppe | |
| Carsten | |
| Mrs. Andreasen | |
| Pastor | |
| Dance teacher | |
| Pianist | |
| Gym teacher | |
| Gym teacher | |
| Mrs Scheel | |
| Park ranger | |
| Music teacher | |
| Christian Svendsen | |
Production[]
When Nils Malmros called and told her that she had become the chosen one to play Lene, she noticed that there was also a nudity scene. She was therefore refusing, but nevertheless said yes, when the film director added in a slight way that all other girls had said yes, without knowing that he had used the same trick towards the other girls.[6]
Reception[]
Film Critic Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times wrote "The Tree of Knowledge is the truest and most moving film I have ever seen about the experience of puberty... a creative act of memory about exactly what it was like to be 13 in 1953."[7]
See also[]
- List of submissions to the 55th Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film
- List of Danish submissions for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
References[]
- ^ "Kundskabens Træ". Archived from the original on 16 November 2008.
- ^ Kosmorama. Danske Filmmuseum. 1997. p. 192. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
- ^ "Kulturkanon". Archived from the original on 6 May 2008. Retrieved 2 August 2008.
- ^ "Festival de Cannes: Tree of Knowledge". festival-cannes.com. Retrieved 13 June 2009.
- ^ Margaret Herrick Library, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
- ^ "Gitte Iben Andersen". danskefilm.dk. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
- ^ Roger Ebert /Chicago Sun-Times, 1 December 1982.
External links[]
- IMDb
- Kundskabens træ, at Den Danske Film Database (In Danish)
- Tree of Knowledge in the Danish Film Database
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- 1981 films
- Danish-language films
- Danish Culture Canon
- Danish films
- Films directed by Nils Malmros
- 1980s coming-of-age drama films
- Films about puberty
- Juvenile sexuality in films
- Films set in the 1950s
- Danish film stubs
- Films set in Denmark