| Simon and the Oaks | |
| Director: | Lisa Ohlin |
| Music: | Annette Focks |
| Cinematography: | Dan Laustsen |
| Distributor: | Nordisk Film |
| Runtime: | 122 minutes |
| Country: | Sweden |
| Language: | Swedish |
Simon and the Oaks (Swedish: '''Simon och ekarna''') is a Swedish drama film which was released to cinemas in Sweden on 9 December 2011,[1] directed by Lisa Ohlin and starring Bill Skarsgård. The film is based on the novel with the same name by Marianne Fredriksson. The film was nominated in 13 categories at the 47th Guldbagge Awards, won two of the awards: Cecilia Nilsson for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for the role as Inga, and Jan Josef Liefers for Best Actor in a Supporting Role as Ruben Lentov.
Ohlin took over as director for the film, after the director Björn Runge in April 2009 announced that he would drop out of the production.[2] In May 2009, the Swedish Film Institute (SFI) announced that Ohlin quit her job as film commissioner at the SFI to direct the film.[3]
The film is about Simon (Bill Skarsgård), growing up in a working-class family on the outskirts of Gothenburg during World War II. He is very talented and always felt different and an outsider. Against his parents' approval, he seeks education in the arts, normally not attended by members of the working class at the time. There he meets Isaak (Karl Linnertorp), the son of a wealthy Jewish bookseller who fled persecution in Nazi Germany. The lives of the two boys and their families intertwine as the war rages in Europe. At the end of the war, it becomes clear to Simon that his life, family and his very identity will no longer be the same.
Simon and the Oaks was nominated for 13 Guldbagge Awards, and won two.
| Award | Date of ceremony | Category | Recipients and nominees | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guldbagge Award | January 23, 2012[4] | Best Film | Christer Nilson | |
| Best Director | Lisa Ohlin | |||
| Best Actress | Helen Sjöholm | |||
| Best Supporting Actor | Jan Josef Liefers | |||
| Best Supporting Actress | Cecilia Nilsson | |||
| Best Visual Effects | Marcus B. Brodersen and Lars Erik Hansen | |||
| Best Original Score | Anette Focks | |||
| Best Costume Design | Katja Watkins | |||
| Best Art Direction | ||||
| Best Make-up/Hair | Linda Boije af Gennäs | |||
| Best Cinematography | Dan Laustsen | |||
| Best Sound Editing | Jason Luke | |||
| Best Film Editing | Kasper Leick and Michal Leszczylowski |