Jerusalem (1996 film)

Jerusalem is a film which was released to cinemas in Sweden on 6 September 1996,[1] directed by Bille August, based on the two-part novel Jerusalem by Selma Lagerlöf.[2] The film, also a broadcast as a TV-series, was a Scandinavian co-production headed by Svensk Filmindustri. The film was selected as the Swedish entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 69th Academy Awards, but was not accepted as a nominee.[3][4]

The novel and the film were inspired by real events from the end of the 19th century, a time when many people left Europe to find a better life abroad. The story revolves around a number of struggling families from northern Sweden who share a strong Christian belief in the impending end of the world. After a long journey, these families choose to settle on the outskirts of Jerusalem, where they take up farming and build a new future, waiting for Judgement Day. A series of claimed visions only add to the difficulty of life in their adopted country, and with growing hardship and the loss of family members, some in the group decide to return to Sweden, while others stay.

The cast includes Ulf Friberg, Sven-Bertil Taube, Maria Bonnevie, Pernilla August, Max von Sydow, Reine Brynolfsson, Lena Endre, Olympia Dukakis, Michael Nyqvist, Mona Malm, Sven Wollter, Hans Alfredson, Viveka Seldahl and Johan Rabaeus.