You, The Living

Roy Andersson
Sweden
2007

Be pleased then, you living one, in your delightfully warmed bed,
before Lethe’s ice-cold wave will lick your escaping foot.

90", 35mm
Color, Swedish with English subtitles

about the film

You, The Living is about the human being, about her greatness and her miserableness, her joy and sorrow, her self-confidence and anxiety. A being at whom we want to laugh and also cry for. The film is simply a tragic comedy or a comic tragedy about us. Will we only come to realize how precious life is when our worst nightmares will come and haunt us in broad daylight?

Composed of everyday events and acting as a realistically critical eye, the film makes us wonder whether we care more about our lives or our daily struggles, whether we know we’re alive while living. Scenes work as pieces from the human mosaic, small pieces from other’s lives are a proof of how we humans function in society. There’s not enough time to meet others, we’re always in a hurry, but as the Islandic proverb that director Roy Andersson fell for says, man is man’s delight. And what do we do with the time we save?

about the director

Roy Andersson was born in Gothenburg, Sweden in 1943. His first feature A Swedish Love Story won four prizes at the Berlinale 1970. His second film Giliap was presented at the Director’s Fortnight in Cannes 1976. In 1975 he started making unusual and very successful commercials, which won a total of 8 Golden Lions at Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival. In 1981 he founded Studio 24 to produce and make his films in total freedom. After Something Happened (1987) and World Of Glory (1991), two shorts that returned with the most prestigious awards, he shot Songs From the Second Floor in his studio and won the Special Jury Prize in Cannes 2000. You, the Living is his fourth feature film.

awards

2007 Chicago Film Festival: Silver Hugo For Direction
Romania Independent Producers International Film Festival: Critics’ Prize
Neuchatel Fantastik Film Festival: Titra Award for Best Movie
Norwegian International Film Festival: Film Critics Award
Flanders Film Festival: Award for Best Music
Sevilla Film Festival: Special Jury Award
Festival de Cannes: Official Selection

screenings

February 17 Sunday, 1:00 PM AFM Budak Caddebostan

February 22 Friday, 8:00 PM AFM Fitaş Beyoğlu 7

February 23 Saturday, 10:30 AM AFM Fitaş Beyoğlu 2

February 26 Tuesday, 9:30 PM AFM Fitaş Beyoğlu 1

March 02 Sunday, 7:00 PM AFM CEPA Ankara 2

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