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The Andromeda galaxy that inspired Martinson.

In 1953 a stargazing Harry Martinson found the Andromeda Galaxy, and in a fevered rush he wrote the first 29 songs of what would become the science fiction classic Aniara.

The 103 cantos of the poem are generally considered an effort to mediate between science and poetry and a big reason Martinson was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1974 (shared with Eyvind Johnson). In Martinson's case for "for writings that catch the dewdrop and reflect the cosmos."

Emelie Jonsson in “Aniara” (2018) - the film has its Nordic premiere at the Göteborg Film festival in January.

The first movie of the work is about to be released and it's difficult not to wonder what the author himself would think about our own times: about the recent scandal at the Swedish Academy, which he was part of, and about the world he was so fond of. His epic saga about the unfortunate spacecraft Aniara, full of migrants to Mars fleeing from a desolate earth, is more relevant than ever.

Pella Kågerman and Hugo Lilja are debuting as directors and have been working on this gigantic film project for three years. As the main character we see one of Swedish film director Suzanne Osten’s favorite actors, Emelie Jonsson. Others in the cast include Arvin Kananian, Bianca Cruzeiro, Jennie Silfverhjelm, Peter Carlberg and Anneli Martini.

The world premiere of Aniara became the talk of the town at the Toronto Film Festival in September 2018, and it was sold to the influential North American distribution company Magnolia. The film received overwhelmingly good reviews, and on its last press screening was packed already 30 minutes before viewing, with many still lining up outside.

It will have its Scandinavian premiere in the Nordic competition at the International Film Festival in Göteborg Jan. 25-Feb. 4, 2019, www.goteborgfilmfestival.se/en/ and opens all over the country in February 2019.