Elina: As If I Wasn't There facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Elina: As If I Wasn't There
Directed by	Klaus Härö
Produced by	Melanie Backer David Leitner Michael Yanko
Written by	Kerstin Johansson i Backe (novel) Jimmy Karlsson (screenplay)
Starring	Natalie Minnevik Bibi Andersson
Distributed by	Sonet Film
Release date(s)	2002 (2002)
Running time	77 minutes
Country	Sweden Finland
Language	Swedish Finnish

Elina: As If I Wasn't There (also known as Elina - Som om jag inte fanns in Swedish, and Näkymätön Elina in Finnish) is a 2002 film. It was directed by Klaus Härö and is based on a book by Kerstin Johansson i Backe. This movie tells a powerful story about standing up for yourself and your family.

What the Movie is About

The story takes place in the 1950s in the Torne Valley. This area is in northern Sweden, very close to the border with Finland. Our main character is a nine-year-old girl named Elina.

Elina's Life and Challenges

Elina lives with her mother and younger brothers and sisters. A few years before the movie starts, Elina's father passed away. He had been sick with tuberculosis, a serious illness. Elina misses her father very much. She often goes to the nearby marshlands, a wet, swampy area, to imagine talking with him.

Elina herself also got sick with tuberculosis, but she got better. Because she was ill for a long time, she missed a lot of school. This means she has to repeat a whole year. She is placed in a new class with a new teacher, Miss Tora Holm.

The Strict Teacher

Miss Tora Holm is a very strict teacher. She believes it's her job to prepare her students for a good life. She thinks that speaking perfect Swedish is the only way to succeed.

Elina's family belongs to a group of people called Tornedalians. They are a Finnish-speaking minority in Sweden. At that time, some people looked down on those who spoke Finnish.

Miss Holm starts to pick on Elina for speaking Finnish in class. She also doesn't like it when Elina questions her rules.

Elina's Fight for Justice

Elina learned a strong sense of fairness from her father. She uses this to stand up for herself and her friends. Even when no one else seems to support her, Elina shows great strength. She proves to be much stronger than Miss Holm expected.

The conflict between Elina and the teacher grows. It reaches a peak when Elina runs away to the dangerous moor, a wild open area. This movie shows how one brave girl can make a big difference.

Meet the Characters

Here are some of the main actors and the characters they play in the film: