Songs from the Second Floor (2000) Sånger från andra våningen (original title)

Director:

Roy Andersson

Writer:

Roy Andersson

Release Date:

6 October 2000 (Sweden)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Plot:

A film poem inspired by the Peruvian poet César Vallejo. A story about our need for love, our confusion...

Plot Keywords:

Poet | Poem | Salute | Retirement Home | Girl

Awards:

9 wins & 3 nominations

Cast

Lars Nordh	...	Kalle
Stefan Larsson	...	Stefan
Bengt C.W. Carlsson	...	Lennart
Torbjörn Fahlström	...	Pelle Wigert
Sten Andersson	...	Lasse
Rolando Núñez	...	The foreigner (as Rolandp Nunez)
Lucio Vucina	...	The magician
Per Jörnelius	...	The sawed man
Peter Roth	...	Tomas
Klas-Gösta Olsson	...	The speechwriter (as Klas Gosta Olsson)
Nils-Åke Eriksson	...	Patient
Hanna Eriksson	...	Mia
Tommy Johansson	...	Uffe
Sture Olsson	...	Sven
Fredrik Sjögren	...	The Russian boy
Stephen Whitton	...	Patient
Jöran Mueller	...	The bureaucrat
Eva Stenfelt	...	The psychologist
Helene Mathiasson	...	Anna
Kristina Hukkala Ranch	...	Lasse's wife (as Kristina Ranch Huikkala)
Lasse Finberg	...	Immigrant's attacker
Tomas Johansson	...	Immigrant's attacker
Johan Bergenlöv	...	Immigrant's attacker (as Johan Bergenlöw)
Tylar Gustavson	...	Pelle's friend
Birgitta-Irene Lundberg	...	Magician's assistant
Siv Wagenius	...	Nurse
Birgitta Persson	...	Per's wife
Birgitta Hedberg	...	Woman in bar
Inger Christell-Malmberg	...	Bartender
Birgitta Gustafvsson	...	Kalle's mistress
Jonny Tholwar	...	Tramp
Ingela Persson	...	Susanne
Jörgen Grundström	...	Micke
Orvar Lidsell	...	Insurance man
Hans Eriksson	...	Insurance man
Birger Hedlund	...	Vicar
Peter Rudbeck	...	Parish clerk
Hasse Söderholm	...	The 100-year-old general
John Gustafsson	...	Doctor
Stigh Holm	...	Doctor
Barbro Herin	...	Nurse
Ann Brit Nilsson	...	Nurse
Marjatta Grahn	...	Nurse
Jan Hallberg	...	Adm. Bengtsson (as John Hallberg)
Rune Falk	...	Rune
Jan Olsson	...	Uffe's assistant
Jan Wikbladh	...	Man who gets his finger pinched
Lennart Ehrenlood	...	Station guard
Åke Wärnling	...	Older man
Gun Fors	...	Older woman
Conny Linnteg	...	Passenger
Gunnar Ivarsson	...	Passenger
Tanya Lylyoja	...	Tomas' wife
Ingegerd Norr	...	Grandmother
Erik Olsausson	...	Prof. Frank
Stig Lundström	...	Chairman
Berndt Dabel	...	Dr. Wendt
Karna Wachtmeister	...	Economist's wife
Anders-Per Jonsson	...	Doctor
Björn Frisk	...	General
Stig Hellsten	...	Bishop
Anders Bröms	...	Trade unionist
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Björn Andreasson	...	Photographer
Åke Westerberg	...	Fifth doctor
Sandy Mansson	...	Bank executive (uncredited)

Directed by
Roy Andersson

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Roy Andersson

Produced by
Lisa Alwert	....	producer
Roy Andersson	....	producer
Philippe Bober	....	co-producer
Sanne Glæsel	....	co-producer
Johan Mardell	....	co-producer

Original Music by
Benny Andersson

Cinematography by
István Borbás
Jesper Klevenas
Robert Komarek

Film Editing by
Roy Andersson

Costume Design by
Leontine Arvidsson

Makeup Department
Ulrika Skantz	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Pehr Arte	....	production manager
Johan Carlsson	....	production manager
Jens Munter	....	production manager

Art Department
Max Arehn	....	assistant carpenter
Johanna Bernhardson	....	property master
Anna Hansson	....	art department
Anna Hansson	....	model maker

Sound Department
Jan Alvemark	....	sound (as Jan Alvermark)
Christian Christensen	....	sound
Jens Munter	....	sound
Owe Svensson	....	sound mixer
Jesper van Dongen	....	sound

Special Effects by
Fredrik Hallgren	....	special effects
Robert Komarek	....	special effects
Niklas Malmström	....	special effects
Heinz Müllner	....	special effects

Editorial Department
Sten Lindberg	....	colorist
Margareta Wiechel	....	negative cutter (as Margaretha Wiechel)

Other crew
Lisa Alwert	....	script supervisor
Louise Carlander	....	production assistant
Pelle Holmgren	....	production assistant
Pernilla Sandström	....	production secretary

Thanks
Nicolas Schmerkin	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• Danmarks Radio (DR)
• Easy Film
• Nordisk Film- & TV-Fond
• Norsk Rikskringkasting (NRK)
• Roy Andersson Filmproduktion AB
• SVT Drama
• Svenska Filminstitutet (SFI)

Distributors

• Filmmuseum Distributie (2001) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Look Now! (2001) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• Rapid Eye Movies (2002) (Germany) (theatrical)
• ARP Sélection (France)
• Asociace Ceských Filmových Klubu (ACFK) (Czech Republic)
• Bitters End
• Europafilm AS (Norway)
• New Yorker Films (2001) (USA) (subtitled)
• Triangelfilm (Sweden)

Also Known As:

"Sånger från andra våningen" - Sweden (original title)

Runtime:

98 min

Country:

Sweden | Norway | Denmark

Language:

Swedish | Russian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Certification:

Argentina:13 | Denmark:11 | Finland:K-12 | France:U | Germany:16 | Hong Kong:IIB | Netherlands:AL | Norway:15 | Singapore:NC-16 | Sweden:11 | Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) | UK:15 | Sweden:7 | Iceland:L | Iceland:LH (video rating) | Canada:G (Quebec)

Filming Locations:

Mysinge, Kalmar län, Sweden

Company:

Danmarks Radio (DR)

Trivia:

Each scene is shot with one take where the camera stands still as the actors embrace the frame (the camera moves once in the entire film, in the railway station scene).

Quotes:

[about his son]
Kalle:He wrote poetry till he went nuts!

Movie Connections:

Featured in "The Story of Film: An Odyssey: Episode #1.15" (2011)

A breathtaking masterpiece

I would just like to say that, those who don´t like this movie must have a heart of stone and a mind that´s so blocked that you can´t see the connections to our society and the ways of man. Our loneliness, our longing for love, our inability to communicate. This film broke my heart, but at the same time it was a wholesome experience, and I was glued to the screen for as long as it lasted. I will never forget the pictures from this film, they still linger inside of me. It´s just so beautiful.

I recommend everyone to see this film! If you´re prepared for an inner journey.(And I know that some people are afraid of this kind of "deep" stuff)Not if you just want entertainment for the moment. If you want to see an action-loaded flick or a nice love comedy instead, fine, do so. But I say: If you´ll only see one and only one more film in your life, see this one!