Movie Menus: "Fanny and Alexander"

Sumptuous and magical, as well as bleak and severe, this 1982 film by the late, great Swedish filmmaker, Ingmar Bergman, about a classical extended family depicts life through the eyes and imagination of 10-year-old Alexander Ekdahl and his sister, Fanny.

Set in provincial Sweden in 1907, the story opens with a totally riotous and lavish Christmas Eve party hosted by Alexander's grandmother for her prosperous family. Sometime later, when his beloved father, Oscar, an actor, suddenly dies, and his mother remarries the town's cold and controlling Bishop Edvard, Alexander's life changes from one of warmth and conviviality to one of tyranny and restrictions. How Alexander deals with his evil stepfather is a turning point in his consciousness. Part fairytale and part ghost story, the film depicts the awakening of a young boy's mischievous imagination, and plays with the boundaries between real and unreal through his experiences and those created in film and theatre.

To serve a menu inspired by what Grandmother Helena Ekdahl might have served her family at a Christmas Eve smorgasbord, choose these dishes from our collection of Scandinavian holiday recipes. Remember to brew a pot of strong, black coffee to accompany the cakes and cookies!