Two Holiday Childrens' Films @ Oak Street

RONIA THE ROBBER’S DAUGHTER, THE BROTHERS LIONHEART

STAR IN NEW, BIG-SCREEN PRINTS FOR X-MAS KID’S  RUN;

MINNEAPOLIS, MN--- The perennial children’s favorites from the pen of prizewinning Swedish author Astrid Lindgren, Ronia, the Robber’s Daughter and The Brothers Lionheart,  will open the day after Christmas at the Oak Street Cinema, for an extended run with newly-struck prints from Sweden.

   The international hit film from Lindgren’s story of young friendship struck between the

plucky daughter and resourceful  son of feuding 19^th century outlaw families (ala the Martins and the Coys) despite long-simmering bad blood between the northern folk,will be brought back again this year  by Minnesota Film Arts (the old University of Minnesota Film Society having merged in 2002 with the Oak St. Cinema).

    Ronia is now into its 25^th Yuletide year, with the MFA screening it as one of its Christmas season family films of choice. (“Our audience polls over the years,” according to MFA artistic director Al Milgrom, “have shown that  despite a language hurdle, even  younger audience members and parents prefer the subtitled version to an earlier dubbed version.)  Its clean story line and fine character portrayal carry the day--- it also gives a parent an occasional  chance to whisper  some of the neat plot turn into the ear of an attending child. “Cuddly communication,” you can call it. (Dir. Tage Danielsson, 1984, 126 mins.)

    In addition to Ronia, a long-unavailable big-screen print of  the The Brothers Lionheart, a most unusual and fascinating tale-–an adventure from the days of sagas told around  campfires. After their lives in this world, two brothers find an easy, simple life in  Nangijala. But the neighboring country is ruled by the evil Tengil with the help of the  dragon, Katla. The brothers become involved in the struggle for love against hate, for  good against evil. Olle Hellbom, German filmmaker known for adapting many other Lindgren tales, most famous for the '69 version of Pippi Longstocking, directs this '77 Swedish classic (108 mins.). 

  Showtimes:

Ronia, the Robber's Daughter –

                            Sat., Dec. 26 – Wed., Dec. 30 & Sat., Jan. 2 – Sun., Jan. 3 at  4pm

The Brothers Lionheart –  Sat., Dec. 26 – Wed. Dec. 30 & Sat., Jan. 2 – Sun., Jan. 3 at  1pm

  Films are in Swedish, with English subtitles. Ticket prices are $7 General, $6 Stud./Sen./Child, and $5 MFA Member. 309 Oak St SE, Minneapolis, MN 55414. 612.331.3134, www.mnfilmarts.org