As a teenager in the 1920s, the young woman who would become Swedish author Astrid Lindgren (the creator of Pippi Longstocking) knew that life on the family farm wasn’t for her. Already a talented storyteller, she jumped at the chance to work at her local small-town newspaper. An affair with her married editor resulted in pregnancy, and Astrid moved to Stockholm, subsequently having her baby in Copenhagen. Driven by Alba August’s commanding performance, this handsome film explores Astrid’s independent and resourceful spirit that would later inform her beloved literary creations. With Trine Dyrholm, Henrik Rafaelsen, Maria Bonnevie. In Swedish and Danish with English subtitles. Writers: Kim Fupz Aakeson, Pernille Fischer Christensen. Director: Pernille Fischer Christensen. (Sweden/Denmark 2018) 123 min.