Pelle the Conqueror
Pelle the Conqueror (Danish: Pelle Erobreren, Swedish: Pelle Erövraren) is a 1987 epic film co-written and directed by Bille August, based upon the 1910 novel of the same name by Danish writer Martin Andersen Nexø. The film tells the story of two Swedish immigrants to Denmark, a father and son, who try to build a new life for themselves. It stars Pelle Hvenegaard as the young Pelle, with Max von Sydow as his father, and also features Axel Strøbye and Astrid Villaume.
| Pelle the Conqueror | |
|---|---|
Original Swedish poster | |
| Directed by | Bille August |
| Screenplay by | Bille August Per Olov Enquist Bjarne Reuter Max Lundgren |
| Based on | Pelle Erobreren by Martin Andersen Nexø |
| Produced by | Per Holst |
| Starring | Max von Sydow Pelle Hvenegaard Erik Paaske Bjørn Granath |
| Cinematography | Jörgen Persson |
| Edited by | Janus Billeskov Jansen |
| Music by | Stefan Nilsson |
Production companies | |
| Distributed by | Svensk Filmindustri (Sweden) Kærne Film (Denmark) |
Release date |
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Running time | 157 minutes |
| Countries | Denmark Sweden |
| Languages | Scanian Danish Swedish |
| Budget | $4.5 million |
| Box office | $2,053,931 |
A co-production of Denmark and Sweden, August chose to adapt Boyhood, the first part of Nexø's novel, seeking to make an epic and citing the novel's status as essential reading in Denmark. Pelle Hvenegaard was 11 when he was cast, after some 3,000 children auditioned. Like many other boys in Denmark, he was named by his family for the novel's eponymous character.
The film screened at the 1988 Cannes Film Festival and New York Film Festival. It was critically acclaimed, winning the Palme d'Or and the 1988 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, and numerous other honours.