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Section: Days of Swedish Cinema
My Life as a Dog (1985)
Ingemar lives with his older brother and seriously ill mother. He helplessly accepts whatever fate throws at him, just like the dog Laika, who died on the way to space. When his mother's condition deteriorates to the point that she cannot take care of the children, Ingemar is sent to the country. He gets to learn another way of life, true friends, and relatives who care for him. In addition, his sexual hormones are kicking in and merry adventures abound. Thanks to these, Ingemar's worldview changes and his earlier deep melancholy doesn't come back – not even when his mother dies.
| Country | Sweden |
|---|---|
| Year | 1985 |
| Duration | 97 min |
| Rating | 12 |
| Language | Swedish |
| Subtitle | English, Czech |
| Directed by | Lasse Hallström |
| Screenplay | Lasse Hallström, Reidar Jönsson, Pelle Berglund, Brasse Brännström |
| Director of Photography | Jörgen Persson |
| Music | Björn Isfält |
| Edited by | Christer Furubrand, Susanne Linnman |
| Contact | The Swedish Film Institute |
Biography
A screenwriter and director, he started out making music videos for TV. He debuted with the feature comedy A Guy and a Gal (En kille och en tjej, 1975). He won international recognition for My Life as a Dog (Mitt liv som hund, 1985). Aside from children's films he's directed, e.g. the successful The Cider House Rules (1999) and Chocolate (Chocolat, 2000).