On Friday, 7 November, the Scandinavian House presents a legendary Norwegian film The Wayward Gir (Ung flukt, 1959) an the cinema Oko in Prague. The film is based on Nils Johan Rud's novel "Ettersøkte er 18 år". Liv Ullmann is playing the major role.
Anders, who has just passed his student exam, runs away from home with Gerd, the loose-moralled daughter of an unmarried saleswoman, in the face of the parents' disapproval. In order to remove her from her bad company in the town, Anders takes her to a deserted farm where he teaches her, somewhat against her will. the joys of simple living.
Anders' father and Gerd's mother trace the couple and try to persuade them to come home, but accept their decision to stay, Gerd's mother considering them a good match. One day a strange mand, Bengt, arrives who later turns out to be the owner of teh farm, and he persuades them to help him steal food from the local shop. Gerd is half attracted by him, and tries to use him to get away from Anders with whom she is getting bored. The police come to arrest Anders for the theft (Bengt and Gerd are hiding on top of the barn), but he is later released and returns to the farm convinced that Bengt has seduced Gerd. Finding Bengt sleeping in the barn, he knocks him unconscious, accidentally setting the barn on fire. Gerd appears and makes Anders drag Bengt from the fire. When he regains consciousness he says that he has had enough of their stupidities and throws them our, and they go off, reconciled, to wait the birth of their baby.
A low-key opening with the youngsters driving tenseley through the dusk, and long flashbacks to their unhappy meetings before, leads one to expect yet another picture of misunderstood youth in the underworld of the city. But it turns into quite a charming country idyll (shades of Summer with Monica) with a strong moral purpose. The lack of pompousness and the sympathetic observation of the characters make up for a certain superficiality, and the clichés are treated so lightly that they seem almost fresh.
Cast: Liv Ullmann, Atle Merton, Rolf Søder, Nanna Stenersen, Randi Brænne, Tore Foss
Screenplay: Otto Carlmar
Based on Nils Johan Rud's novel "Ettersøkte er 18 år"
D.O.P: Sverre Bergli
Editor: Fritze Kiær Nilsen
Composer: Bjarne Amdahl
Sound: Arne Holm
Scenography: Grethe Hejer
Producer: Otto Carlmar
Production company: Carlmar Film AS
Film Wayward Girl, The/ Ung flukt (drama, NO, Edith Carlmar, 1959)
Cinema Oko, Františka Křížka 15, Prague 7
http://www.biooko.net/
Czech and English subtitles