• Jan Troell, Coming to America

    Director Jan Troell, best known for The Emigrants (1971) and The New Land (1972), his evocative chronicles of the struggles of nineteenth-century Swedes to make new lives in America, will be stateside himself this week. Tonight, Troell will be on hand to introduce his latest film, Everlasting Moments, at Berkeley, California’s Pacific Film Archives. Moments, which will come to the Criterion Collection this summer, is a rich, lovingly composed portrait of a troubled marriage at the turn of the twentieth century, and the creative liberation that wife Maria experiences when she discovers photography. Not far from the PFA, Troell is also being honored at the California Film Institute’s San Rafael Film Center, with an eight-film retrospective, titled The Cinema of Jan Troell and running through Saturday. He is introducing several of the films in that series, too.

    On the occasion of these fêtes, the San Francisco Chronicle’s Walter Addiego has conducted an interview with Troell, in which the director discusses his career, his preference for shooting with natural light, and an upcoming project.

    News

15 comments

  • By David karoll
    March 04, 2010
    12:19 PM

    If only somebody would release The Emigrants and The New Land on DVD and Blu-ray. Criterion??
    Reply

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    • By TG
      October 08, 2012
      01:40 PM

      I have been informed by Svensk Filmindustri that Criterion will release on Blu-ray -- but that was about a year ago, where is it?

    • By Dennis
      October 17, 2012
      09:33 AM

      I absolutely agree. These are now the films longest on the list of "Why are these not on DVD?" The Emigrants is the best film ever made about emigrating to America and The New Land is nearly as good. I always found it stunning that the best film about coming to America was made by the Swedes.

    • By Ahmed
      December 23, 2012
      01:29 AM

      I second that! Criterion, any plans?

  • By Brad
    March 04, 2010
    02:36 PM

    While he's here, PLEASE do something about getting Emigrants and The New Land Criterion!!!?!??!?!??!?! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE!!!!!!!!!
    Reply

  • By David Hollingsworth
    March 04, 2010
    03:12 PM

    I'm looking forward to the release of Everlasting Moments, but just like David K., and Brad, I'm also longing for the releases of both The Emigrants and The New Land as well.
    Reply

  • By Patrick G
    March 04, 2010
    05:20 PM

    I don't understand why "The Emigrants" is not available on DVD. Is Warner blocking the release? Shoot louder, louder...I don't understand.
    Reply

  • By Laurel T
    September 26, 2010
    07:31 PM

    I add my voice. Please issue The Emigrants and The New Land! These are masterpieces.
    Reply

  • By Andrew Smith
    November 16, 2010
    01:10 AM

    Why are Jan Troell's beautiful films still unavailable? The absence of these exceptional works from dvd is hard to understand and a real shame.
    Reply

  • By Torgny Gunnarson
    July 26, 2011
    06:14 PM

    I was informed by Svensk Filmindustri that the Criterion Collection will release The Emigrants / Immigrants on BD - can you give me an approximate ETA?
    Reply

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    • By Ahmed al-Ajmi
      January 04, 2013
      07:23 AM

      O really? That's good news. You need to know when exactly. I cannot wait to see these films along with The Flight of the Eagle.

  • By Tad Kardis
    October 16, 2012
    05:22 PM

    I'd like to see The Emigrants issued on BD too please!
    Reply

  • By Ahmed
    January 04, 2013
    07:34 AM

    Criterion please we want Jan Troell's films on DVD : )
    Reply

  • By Sara Jane Harwood
    January 30, 2013
    12:37 PM

    Am trying to locate "The New Land" and "The Emigrants" in Swedish on DVD. Would appreciate any information concerning them.
    Reply

  • By Chris Bram
    May 12, 2013
    02:08 PM

    Last week friends and I streamed The Emigrants on iTune Movies. It was even better than I remember it. Next week we're going to stream The New Land on Amazon. But these two masterpieces deserve to be issued on DVD by Criterion and I see here I'm not the only one wishing for it. Why the delay? What are the complications? Meanwhile I watched Hurricane (1979) and it's not in the same league as The Emigrants and The New Land but it's hardly the bomb people said it was. Troell is one of our best living directors.
    Reply

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