The acclaimed biopic of celebrated artist Hilma af Klint brings the vibrant and abstract paintings and story of a group of trailblazing women to life

Starring Lena Olin (Hunters, Alias), Tora Hallström (Safe Haven), Lily Cole (Snow White and the Huntsman), Maeve Dermody (Why Didn’t They Ask Evans?), Martin Wallström (Mr. Robot), and Tom Wlaschiha (Game of Thrones, Stranger Things)

“Tora Hallström in an impressive turn in the title role… open and warm performance” – Variety

“Spirited and sensuous” – The Hollywood Reporter

INTERVIEWS with cast/filmmaker available

Trailer: https://youtu.be/Z_5nKLowPL0 

Images: https://press.viaplaygroup.com/

After a limited US theatrical release and success on the international film festival circuit, HILMA, the newest film from three-time Academy Award-nominated director Lasse Hallström (Chocolat, What's Eating Gilbert Grape, The Cider House Rules, My Life as a Dog), makes its North American debut on Tuesday, June 18 on the Viaplay streaming service. Also written by Hallström, the English-language feature film showcases the revolutionary work and hidden genius of Hilma af Klint, the artist who redefined Modernism and abstract painting and was largely unknown until a 2018-2019 Guggenheim Museum exhibit. Af Klint is now recognized as one of the Western world’s first abstract artists, an achievement made even more impressive by the male-dominated artistic scene that surrounded her. Her enigmatic life (1862-1944) shows the redemptive power of art, friendship, love and self-liberation.

The film features an impressive ensemble led by Hallström’s daughter and wife, Tora Hallström (Safe Haven) and Lena Olin (Hunters, Riviera, Alias) as the younger and older Hilma af Klint, as well as Lily Cole (Snow White and the Huntsman), Tom Wlaschiha (Game of Thrones, Stranger Things), Maeve Dermody (Why Didn’t They Ask Evans?, The Beast Must Die), and Martin Wallström (Mr. Robot).

This immersive biopic follows the artist from her early life through her rising artistic career and spiritual awakening after the loss of her beloved younger sister Hermina. HILMA explores af Klint’s spiritualism, her unconventional love life, and the impetus behind her work — from the writings of Rudolph Steiner to the strong influence of the Theosophic Movement, and her belief in its mystical philosophy — in a portrait of a woman well ahead of her time. Hilma defied late nineteenth century conventions, when women were not allowed to attend art school with their male peers.

Having remained unknown and unrecognized as the woman who invented abstract painting after her death in 1944, a 2018-19 Guggenheim Museum exhibition devoted to Hilma af Klint’s work became her first major solo exhibition in the U.S., revolutionizing the art world and art history while displacing Kandinsky, Malevich and Mondrian as the fathers of Modernism.

Hallström notes, the film is “a story about an unwavering search for the truth about humanity and the universe, at a time when men made all the rules. Despite so many obstacles, Hilma created art that influences our lives today. My ambition is for the audience to experience these struggles with all their senses.”

Hilma also stars Jazzy de Lisser (Vampire Academy), Anna Björk (Partisan, The Bridge), Adam Lundgren (Chernobyl), Emmi Tjernström (R.S.V.P.), Jens Hultén (Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation), Catherine Chalk, and Rebecca Calder (Wrath of Man).

NEW ON VIAPLAY: 

·        Thurs., May 2: The sensational true story of an NHL legend, BÖRJE – The Journey of a Legend, starring Valter Skarsgård and Jason Priestley (6 eps) Trailer

·        Tues., May 7: Extraordinary WWII true story GOLD RUN, the most streamed Viaplay Original Film of all-time (Trailer)

·        Tues., May 21: Crime thriller MURDERESSES, a gripping adaptation of Katarzyna Bonda's bestselling true crime book (6 eps) Trailer

·        Tues., June 4: Modern Danish comedy CALL ME DAD, based on an idea by and starring best friends Alex Høgh Andersen (Vikings, Darkness Those Who Kill) and Magnus​ Haugaard (Guilt)

About Viaplay:

The Viaplay streaming service features thousands of hours of premium Nordic and European series and films. Viaplay’s US content offering focuses on the Nordic region’s high-quality and psychologically penetrating titles: from atmospheric and suspenseful crime dramas and provocative and stylish young adult series to award-winning dramas and riveting documentaries. Now available:

·        Nordic Noir/Crime Dramas: Lars Mikkelsen in Face to Face, an intense interrogative drama; Fenris, featuring mysterious disappearances in a wolf-inhabited forest; Trom, a mystery set in the picturesque Faroe Islands; Detective Maria Kallo, based on the bestselling book series; DNA, a Danish police drama co-starring Oscar-nominated actress Charlotte Rampling; and Black Sands, a dark, popular Icelandic mystery; as well as all three films from the renowned Millennium/The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo trilogy

·        Young Adult Series: Provocative dramas Threesome and Delete Me and coming of age LGBTQ+ short form series One of the Boys  

·        Dramas: The Architect, the award-winning dystopian dramedy starring Eili Harboe (Succession) and called “vicious and funny” by The New York Times; International Emmy-nominated The Dreamer – Becoming Karen Blixen starring Connie Nielsen (Gladiator); and Swedish ‘TV Drama of the Year’ nominee Limbo

·        Documentaries: The Most Remote Restaurant in the World, a “can’t miss documentary” (Forbes) following the nearly impossible journey of a chef to set up shop in a remote location; Crime Scene Sweden, a shocking in-depth look at infamous Swedish murders; and Liv Ullmann: A Road Less Travelled, a star-studded, intimate portrait of the legendary actress.