Cecilia

An argument. A scream. A shot? Worried neighbours. Then a lifeless body is carried down the stairs and young Cecilia is taken off by the police. The film tells her story in flashbacks. Growing up in a working-class family, with three brothers and an alcoholic father, she felt ignored and neglected. A lonely and sensitive young woman, she finds refuge and comfort in the somewhat older Tore. She is the only girl in her school who wears trousers … “Cecilia” was the first Norwegian film to explore the subject of lesbian love. As an early auteur film, it was also closely linked to the personal story of its director, screenwriter, and producer Solvejg Eriksen, who grew up with six brothers. With a lay cast and influenced by Italian neo-realism, the film is sustained by its high-contrast, expressionist camerawork. Taken together, it all makes “Cecilia” one of the compelling films of Norwegian post-war cinema, with Anne May Nilsen, 15 at the time, giving an enchanting performance.