EXCLUSIVE: Rising Swedish actress Malin Buska has been crowned as the lead in Finnish director Mika Kaurismäki’s Kristina of Sweden, stepping into the shoes of Swedish screen legend Greta Garbo, who played the part in US director Ruben Mamoulian’s 1933 Queen Christina.
“I love Garbo, she was one of the greatest - but I don’t base my interpretation on her,” Buska told Screen of the 17th century queen. “I let Kristina enter my body and occupy my brains and my soul. This role is my dream.”
Kaurismaki, whose latest Road North is screening in the market, will today announce the $10m project, his first period piece, which will start shooting in Sweden in February. Canadian Michel Marc Bouchard wrote the script, and partners are Sweden’s Anagram Film, his own Marianna Film (Finland), Canada’s Triptych Media, Germany’s Starhaus and France’s Arsam.
“Garbo actually said she wanted to make a more truthful film about Kristina; I hope my film will be closer to what she wanted, a real depiction of Kristina’s extraordinary journey, edgier than you could do it in the 1930s Hollywood,” added Kaurismäki.
Buska was named Rising Star at the last Stockholm International Film Festival for her role in Happy End.
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