Salubfoto It's an amazing and heartbreaking story.

Lollivan It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

Jonah Abbott There's no way I can possibly love it entirely but I just think its ridiculously bad, but enjoyable at the same time.

Erica Derrick By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

fertilecelluloid Klaus Haro's "Elina -- As If I Wasn't There" can proudly stand alongside classics about childhood such as France's "Forbidden Games", The Czech Republic's "The Elementary School", and Japan's "Muddy River". Set in Northern Sweden, this remarkable movie focuses on the inner agony of Elina (Natalie Minnivek), a smart young girl who has recently lost her father, a Finn, and is recovering from tuberculosis. When she starts a new school, the stubborn child, who is a sharp chip off her father's block, clashes with Tora Holm (Bibi Andersson), the school's most senior teacher. Not only is the clash of these two females a clash of wills, it is a clash of cultures. The rigid Holm forbids Elina and other students from speaking Finnish and enforces a Swedish-only language rule. Elina rebels against her teacher and takes emotional refuge in the bog outside the town where she believes her father still resides. The bog is a mysterious, wild, and beautiful place, retaining memories of the times Elina spent with her beloved father. The film's simple story is an effective frame on which to hang a number of cleverly explored issues such as the majority's treatment of minorities, poverty, tolerance, and Swedish identity (the Old and the New). First-time director Haro's grasp of the material is impressive and naturalistic. Not a shot is wasted. Not a single emotion is false. The photography of the rural exteriors and interiors is breathtaking and transporting; this is pure cinema with something to say and an original way to say it. Tuomas Kantelinen's musical score enhances and enriches the physical beauty and the delicate inner world of characters we come to know and understand. When I watch films like this, I fall in love with cinema all over again.

romdal Tiny Swedish gem. In the 50es, in the desolate Norrbotten, Finnish-speaking kids are enrolled in the strict Swedish education system as personified by Bibi Andersson's extremely uptight Ms. Holm. Imagine Shirley MacLaine in her most uncompromising appirition – and then some. Bibi is marvellous as the given villain here, but on the other hand the part does not give her much else to work with than parading a never-yielding stone face. Nevertheless, to this viewer, this film adds miles to her reputation in terms of versatility. A life and death power struggle soon materialises between Holm and desperately cute pupil Elina, a true wolf in sheeps clothing if ever you saw one. The story is paper-thin but razor sharp and grossly engaging. ***SPOILER*** The standoff culminates in that familiar scene from Dead Poets' Society where all the kids unite in rebellion, only in this movie it actually serves a purpose. My regrets only go to the fact that secondary story lines were not explored, as a possible romance was only vaguely indicated, leaving the movie with a quite narrow outlook. You will never see this one at Blockbuster, but if you do, grab it.

pema7109 ELINA - AS IF I WASN'T HERE Sweden in the early 1950s. Elina is a member of the Finnish-speaking minority living in northern Sweden. Her father, whom she loved dearly, died of tuberculosis a few years ago. Out in the moor just behind her house, Elina believes that she can still talk to her Dad. She is a very lonely girl. Because she was ill for so long, Elina is obliged to repeat a whole year at school. Her teacher,Ms.Holm, thinks that her new pupil is unkempt; she decides to take her in hand and turn her into neat and tidy schoolgirl.This entails speaking perfect Swedish, not using Finnish expressions and, above all, respecting persons of authority - especially her teacher. The shy Elina, proud and offended by so little attempt to understand her situation, rebels against the way Ms.Holm treats her. A battle of wills ensues, and Elina's only recourse is to refuse to cooperate. Nobody seems able to mediate between these two stubborn opponents.Again and again,Elina takes to wandering out into the moor to try and commune with her father. The situation becomes unbearable. Then, one day while out in the moor again, Elina sinks so deeply into the ground that it threatens to engulf her. At this moment Elina realises that she is not alone; she is loved and needed.When Elina goes to school the next morning, everything is quite different. Even Ms. Holm senses that her pupil will not be intimidated any longer.

Jerker I watched this movie at the Berlin film festival 2003 where it was awarded the Glass Bear (The prize of the children's jury). It is a well-told story about the problems experienced by a minority group in the society. In this case the finnish-speaking minority in Sweden in the beginning of the 1950's. The film makes it easy to understand the problems that can occur for such a minority group in an intolerant society. I believe this may be applicable for minority groups in many places of the world and thus it is possible for people around the world to recognize the situation. This is the debut for the director Klaus Härö in a full-length movie and I think he has succeeded well.