The new films about Alfons Åberg show how wonderful it is when dad finally puts everyday chores aside and follows Alfons into a world of fantasy. They also deal with playing invisibly with Viktor and with the horror of being innocently accused of theft.
Children's imagination
One of the main qualities of Alfons Åberg stories, according to Tomas Alfredson, is that the children's imagination is activated.
It's as minimally elaborated as possible, and very reduced. Then the young readers are invited to imagine for themselves what Alfons and his father sound like or what the road to school looks like. Much of the entertainment offered to children today fills any gaps where they themselves could participate, he says.
Alfredson places great importance on not changing Gunilla Bergström's stories too much.
"They highlight everyday things that little people can relate to. The stories are so incredibly pure in their intentions, and I find it hard to resist them. There's something very appealing about actually telling them exactly as they were originally made up," he says.
How does it feel to manage such a beloved figure as Alfons Åberg?
"It's cool, but when you get access to him you have to be very careful, I think."
That's why he wants to add as little as possible to the new films. Instead, Alfredson tries to give young viewers suggestions on where to look:
"The images are like a frozen situation, and then the camera searches for different details. Then I might add a kind of rhythm with the music, and Jonas Karlsson's phrasing might not sound like when mom and dad read."
Don't want to change
Beyond that, he doesn't want to change the original stories.
"Everything is already there. I lean into the story rather than stepping away from it or trying to insist on what I think."
As a director, he must, of course, also keep in mind that the audience is very young, says Alfredson:
"The youngest are maybe three years old, and then you're really small. You have to be careful with these little ones and how much they can take in."
Based on: "Invisible with Alfons", "There goes Tjuv-Alfons" and "Fly! Said Alfons Åberg".
Directed by: Tomas Alfredson.
Narrator: Jonas Karlsson.
Language: Swedish.
Age limit: Children allowed.
Premiere: January 16.
