Bohus Knitting – From Relief Work to World Success
Producer, manuscript, storyteller: Kjell Andersson
Photo: Claes Sundberg
Editor: Kjell Andersson, Rasmus Ohlander
Sound: Anders Billing
Production year: 2007
Runtime: 58 minutes
During the depression of the thirties, stonecutters were not allowed to earn more than 110 Swedish crowns per month due to the state’s support reservation. An amount not easy to support your family with. A delegation of stonecutter’s wives travelled from the north of Bohuslän to visit the governor of Gothenburg. He handed over the errand to his wife, Emma Jacobsson. She travelled throughout Bohuslän trying out different occupations, that would supply an extra income. Getting appropriation for the products wasn’t easy however. She did find one common thing all the women could do, namely knitting. Emma Jacobsson founded the association Bohus Knitting in 1939. The praise started from the absolute beginning. Patterns rich with variation made by textile artists, exquisite garments from special sheep and angora rabbits and a strict quality control became the secret behind the success. These handicrafts caused huge attention abroad, stretching far from Swedish borders to the United States.
Bohus Knitting phased out in 1969. There were many reasons and cheap fabricated copies of the sweaters was one of them. A total of 1700 women were employed by Bohus Knitting. In 1949, almost 900 women were involved in the business.
“Bohus Knitting” is a free-standing follow up to the documentary “Fragments from a time gone by”. A film about strong women, produced by a man. The film was shown on Swedish national television in may 2008.
60 år av boende
Producer, manuscript: Kjell Andersson
Poto: Claes Sundberg
Editor: Kjell Andersson
Production year: 2006
Runtime: 27 minutes
Eldorado
Producer, manuscript: Kjell Andersson
Photo: Claes Sundberg
Editor: Kjell Andersson
Production year: 2006
Runtime: 18 minutes
Eldorado is an activity, knowledge and arts centre for persons with an intellectual handicap on an early development level in Gothenburg. Eldorado is insignificant on the outside but full of activities on the inside. Eldorado is unique, not only in Sweden, but in the entire world. One have taken the greatest of different theories and methods and brought them together in an entity that sets the individual in centre of things. The keyword is knowledge, stimulation, communication, interplay, tutorial, inspiration in an experience strong environment. The staff’s way to collaborate with their visitors may also enrich us “normally gifted”.
The film was done in collaboration with the staff and follows their different activities under a year’s time.
Fragments from a time gone by
Director: Kjell Andersson, Folke Johansson
Producer: Kjell Andersson
Editor: Rasmus Ohlander
Storyteller: Sven Wollter
Production company: KMA Filmproduktion AB
Production year: 2004 Swe, 2006 Eng
Runtime: 59 minutes
The stone cutting era in Bohuslän has a short but intense history which began in the 1860s and concluded in the 1970s.
The period is characterised by extreme cyclical fluctuations, two world wars, strikes and lock-outs and the depression of the thirties.
This brought an incredible occupancy of labour to Bohuslän which, until then had been completely characterised by fisheries and agriculture. The occupancy was not entirely free of problems however. The Schartauan Bohuslän was invaded by workers from, in particular, Halland, Blekinge and Småland with much more radical opinions.
“Fragments from a time gone by” is a documentary film about this dynamic and exciting epoch in the history of Bohuslän. The story is told by the people who still live to tell the tale.
The film was shown on Swedish national television in the fall of 2004.
May I have the pleasure?
– About love and sexuality by people with modest mental handicap
Director & Producer: Kjell Andersson
Editor: Claes Sundberg
Production company: KMA Filmproduktion AB
Production year: 2004
Runtime: 31 minutes
During the recording of the film “Borderland” Kjell Andersson encountered a burning “problem”, namely the one about sexuality and love interpreted by people with modest mental handicap.
This film sheds light on this very subject. We are following a loving couple who themselves share their point of views on this. It’s a positive film which intends to bring forth a debate and is perfectly suitable for education, as well as for people who in any way are connected with people with modest mental handicap.
Contributing is also sexologist Lotta Löfgren-Mårtensson, who in 2004 got a doctors degree in this very subject.
Puzzling reality
– How people with a serious mental handicap experience their world.
Director & Producer: Kjell Andersson
Editor: Stefan Larsson
Production company: KMA Filmproduktion
Production year: 2003
Runtime: 21 minutes
There is pretty large amount of people that we rarely look at. When we meet them in person we are often taken to heart. They are adults with a serious mental handicap. They are living life without a verbal knowledge of language. They have an assumed intelligence of a child and are often treated as one. However, they have the life experience and needs of a grown up. How do these people actually feel about themselves and their lives? Do they have a worthy and meaningful life?
Puzzling reality is a documentary film about people with a serious mental handicap. How they communicate and how they experience their lives. The film is based upon Ragnar Furenheds doctors degree, sharing the same name as the film. The film was financed by the foundation “Sävstaholm”.
”Puzzling reality”, ”Borderland” and ”The Gang of Four” are three free standing documentary films that together form an unabridged version. Together they cover the spectrum from people with a serious mental handicap to people with a light mental handicap. In these films, it is solely the people with mental handicap that are heard. It is their own experience of their own reality that is interesting. It has been necessary, however, in the film ”Puzzling reality” to use “interpreters”. (All films in these series are available with english subtitles).
Att våga flyga
A co-production between:
First Take Stuntmen’s Ass.
KMA Filmproduktion
TOR Film & Videoproduktion
Production year: 2002
Runtime: 30 minutes
An information film about fear of flying and security on air planes. Sweden’s leading experts on this very subject participate in the film. All in an objective way, they show what really happens in an airplane and how you can reduce your fear of flying.
“Att våga flyga” can be ordered through Flygtorget.
Borderland
– How people with a mild mental handicap experience their world
Director & Producer: Kjell Andersson
Editor: Rasmus Ohlander
Production company: KMA Filmproduktion
Production year: 2000/2001
Runtime: 29 minutes
A large amount of people are at present in the region between “normal” and mentally handicapped. Kjell Andersson has followed two people in this region: Peter and Sven-Anders. We get the opportunity to follow them in their weekdays and in their spare time. A lot of things separate them, but they are united in their one wish to be able to take care of themselves without support measures from society. The film asks the question what really categorizes an “abnormal” person by society and how thin or thick the line is to be classified as “normal”.
The film was shown on SVT, 17 June 2001.
Claws
Director & Producer: Kjell Andersson
Editor: Stefan Larsson
Production company: KMA Filmproduktion
Production year: 2000/2001
Runtime: 28 minutes
The lobster fishing premiére is in late September every year. It’s a happening that a lot of people look forward to. On the day of the premiére the sea is crowded with boats. Everyone’s competing to get the best spots. What drives people to go out in storm and cold weather for a couple of lobsters, when the lobster fishing is not profitable at all? Who are these people?
“Claws” was shown on SVT, 30 September 2001.
The Greatness of the small man
Director & Producer: Kjell Andersson & Bo Harringer
Editor: Rasmus Ohlander
Photo: Bo Harringer
Production company: KMA Filmproduktion & FilmAteljén
Production year: 2000
Runtime: 56 minutes
Film director Roy Anderssons comeback “Songs from the second floor” was greeted with standing ovations at the world premiére at Cannes, in may 2000. Kjell Andersson has in a co-operation with Bo Harringer and FilmAtéljen documented the birth of this film, during two and a half years.
The Greatness of the small man is concentrated on three key scenes in the movie. The film also portrays how Roy Andersson puts his theories of society, evil and superstition to practice. Since Kjell and Roy are brothers one has really got the opportunity to dig deep in Roy and his ideas and methods, through very personal conversations.
“The Greatness of the small man” was shown on SVT in October 2000. The film is also available in the DVD-edition of “Songs from the second floor”.
The Gang of Four
– How people with a moderate mental handicap experience their world
Director & Producer: Kjell Andersson
Editor: Rasmus Ohlander
Production company: KMA Filmproduktion
Production year: 1999
Runtime: 29 minutes
During the fall of 1997 Kjell Andersson held a course in film making for adults with a moderate mental handicap. This became the starting point for “The Gang of Four” – a documentary about the four participants in this course; Eva, Kristina, Tommy and Kerstin. The film follow these four in their weekdays and spare time and is partly based on material they have filmed by themselves, during the filming course. What make these people interesting are their diverse characteristics and their frankness that imbues the interviews.
“The Gang of Four” was shown on SVT2 30 August 1999.