..Nästan som en i familjen (..Almost like one of the family)

In 1933 Anna-Helèn Johansson wrote 30 letters to her sister Clary. Anna-Helèn, a young farmer's daughter, got the chance to live in a city household in Stockholm.

There is a flow of descriptions in these letters and above all – a flow of feelings.

Anna-Helèn was supposed to be like a member of the fine opera-family Stiebel. Instead, she became their maid. She got pissed!

Anna-Helèn, my mother, died in 1997.

In my animation, based on my mothers letters, I wanted to give associations to women's lives today, my own or others.

The music and sound of the animation is a collaboration of the director with composer Carin Blom.

Director's Statement

"My starting point was the 30 letters written by Anna-Helèn to her big sister Clary in Rickarum. Anna-Helèn was a farmer's daughter from Bjärehalvön, who as a 19-year-old got the chance to come along with one of the families visiting over the summer, the one of opera singer Stiebel, to 'practise' in a city household in Stockholm.

"She was supposed to be like a member of the family. She became a maid.

"There is a flow of descriptions in the letters of everything she sees and is amazed by in this unknown environment - what she does, all the new food she cooks, the kitchen equipment she uses, and above everything - what she feels. She had never been that affected by class difference as a farmer's daughter before. She 'waits on' the teenage children of the family when they ring an electric bell. She is pissed!

"It's 1933. Anna-Helèn is my mother, she died in 1997.

"I am now making a charcoal animation where I use the descriptions of her letters as a base for the formation. I also want the transformations to give associations to women's lives today, my own or others."