ARN – an epic tale The film about Arn and Cecilia is set in Sweden as well as the Middle East, and offers a rich gallery of brave knights, powerful queens and treacherous kings. It is a tale of war and intrigue, friendship and betrayal, but also an unforgettable love story. Arn Magnusson is born in 1150 on Arnas farm in West Gothia in the western part of Sweden. He grows up to become an educated young man and a skilled swordsman. He meets Cecilia, the love of his life, but a cruel and jealous world forces them apart. Cecilia is imprisoned in a monastery and Arn is sent away as a Knight Templar to the Holy Land, where war is raging between Christians and Muslims. They both have to fight to survive, they have to learn how to confront evil and overcome physical hardship. Their painful separation causes their faith in God and his goodness to waver – though not their faith in each other and their confidence that they will one day be reunited. When Arn returns home he has to fight for his love and what has become his life’s mission: to unite Sweden into one kingdom. ARN – Jan Guillou’s best-selling novels When Arn is 18 years old, he is sent back to featuring the Swedish crusader Arn his family. He meets the fair Cecilia and they Magnusson adapted for the screen. fall deeply in love, but are prevented from marrying by the Sverkare dynasty currently The first novel in the trilogy about the ruling the kingdom. In an attempt to win Knight Templar Arn was published in 1998, Cecilia’s hand Arn becomes involved in the a tale about the emergence of what we murder of the King. Before long, however, today call Sweden. The story combines the young lovers become victims of the fiction with historical fact and makes power struggle between the worldly powers references to real events and people. and the Church. Cecilia’s pregnancy is used as pretence to condemn her to 20 years in the convent run by the cruel Mother Superior Rikissa. Arn is forced to go to the Holy Land to become a Knight Templar and fight in the In the year 1150, Arn Magnusson is born into one of war against the Saracens. the principal Swedish noble families at a time when the kingdom is in a state of inner turmoil. When he is seven years old he miraculously survives a severe accident. As a tribute to God in return for allowing him to live, Arn is sent to a monastery to be raised by monks. Brother Guilbert soon discovers the boy’s many talents and becomes his mentor. Guilbert can see that God has great plans for Arn, and trains the boy to use his intellect as skilfully as his sword. In the convent, Cecilia gives birth to a son who is immediately taken away from her. She suffers greatly from the harsh Meanwhile, Arn builds a reputation for himself in the treatment at the hands of Rikissa who Holy Land as a great military leader and a man of his is jealous of Cecilia and Arn’s love. word. Even the Saracens fear and respect him, especially Fortunately enough, Cecilia finds an after his incredible victory at Mont Gisard. Arn also has ally in her friend Blanka. They team up great respect for the Muslims and develops a friendship together against Rikissa and when of sorts with the most feared Muslim leader of them all – Blanka is made queen, she makes sure Saladin. When Arn’s 20 years are up and the Knights that the abbess can hurt Cecilia no Templar lose the city of Jerusalem, Saladin spares Arn’s further. However, Blanka cannot make life. Arn journeys home to create unity and peace in his the Church lift its unjust sentence, and own land and to marry Cecilia. Cecilia is forced to remain imprisoned at the convent. Arn did not live to see the kingdom unified, but his legacy lived on in his grandson who fulfilled his grandfather’s dream and created the country we know today as Sweden. When Arn returns he discovers that there still are those who want to keep him and his beloved Cecilia apart. But thanks to the slyness of queen Blanka, Arn and Cecilia may finally marry. They make a home together and have another child. But Arn knows that war is brewing - it is only a matter of time before the Sverkare dynasty try to regain the throne with the help of their Danish kinsmen. With his knowledge of foreign war strategy and techniques, Arn builds an army to face them. In a mighty final battle he defeats the foreign invaders, but is badly wounded, and returns home only to die in the arms of his beloved Cecilia. Jan Guillou Peter Flinth author and journalist director The famous novelist Jan Guillou was born in 1944 and currently lives in Stockholm. Peter Flinth graduated from The National Film School of Denmark in 1993, and currently He started his career as a reporter in 1966, and apart from writing novels he has since lives in Copenhagen. In addition to TV series and feature films, he has directed many worked for various newspapers, magazines as well as for television. Since 1971 Jan commercials and short films. Peter made his directorial debut with the award-winning Guillou has written close to 40 novels. “Evil”, published in 1981, was made into a film “Eye of the Eagle” and in 2005 he directed the Swedish feature film “Mastermind” about and received an Oscar nomination in 2004. His ten novels featuring Carl Hamilton police inspector Wallander, with Krister Henriksson in the lead role. “The story of Arn have sold over 5 million copies, and the novels about the Knight Templar Arn and his Magnusson and his adventurous life is a dramatic tale as well as an unforgettable love descendants have so far sold 1.8 million copies worldwide. His latest novel, “Madame story. It is a tale of war and religion, love and betrayal. It is a cinematic account that has Terror”, was released in August 2006. just been waiting to be put on the screen!”, says Peter. Based on Jan Guillou’s novels: ARN is produced by AB Svensk Filmindustri ARN - THE ROAD TO JERUSALEM in collaboration with Telepool GmbH, Film i ARN - THE KNIGHT TEMPLAR ARN - THE KINGDOM AT THE END OF THE ROAD Väst, SVT, DR, Yle, TV2 Norge,Em quismodio Dagsljus, er iure dolorti ESP sequipit, volorero od euguero modolortis doluptat delit lore onsent ilit niamet nosto od er commy nim duipsuscilisTitle: ARN alis – The Knightvendiam Templar quisi tis nulput lam, ver and Sheba Productions Ltdamcor with sequisci support blam dolutet, from acing ex etum ilisCountry dio consec of -Origin:suscilis Sweden etum augait, verosto summodigna consequisim nul- tem inibh ea faciduntFirst Theatrical utpat. Ut Release:essim zzriurer December ametummy 25, 2007nos the Swedish Film Institute,laore Film tio Commissioner dolore euis alisit vel in lortis nosto odGenre: delis augait Adventure/Drama in ea coreet eliscil iquipit vel ipis veleseq uipsuscidunt ip eugait hendre tis aliscid uiscili quatisit, eratin utet, commy non veles- Format: 1:2,35 Marianne Ahrne. laor adion henim velisl ut ercillu velent velit duipism oloboreet, sequis adiamet nonsequat. mmolore do odolupt ationse quipsum vercilisSound: alit aliquip DTS sus -- DolbyAgna Digital faccum eu facil illaorp eraesequis niam, veraeseUt magna ad ming exerat velendit ting et lorperit Duration:doluptatue dunt - executive producer - script lute eum volorperit praesequis ad eugait, quipisi. exero commy nulla consecte tio JOHAN MARDELL HANS GUNNARSSON Feature Film: Approx. 140 minutes Johan Mardell started working with film and television in the mid-80s. Hans Gunnarsson was born in 1966. Writer of short stories, novels augiam, veliquam vercips ustis- Olore dolent lum eugue diam odignim duip elit prat, sustrud MAIN CAST cip elit lore ex esenibh estrud duis ad ea facilislTV dolutatet, Series: Approx. exeros 2x100 nullamet minutes nulluptatie In 2003, after fifteen years at SVT both as producer and as head and screenplays, who together with Mikael Håfström wrote the miniscilit dunt prat veriuscip- veliquat dignit ut atuer ali- dignim nostism odolore magnim of Fiction, Johan Mardell started working as head of production at screenplay for the Oscar-nominated feature ”Evil” (2004). sum vulputpat nos nonsed et qui tat. Ut aut ut nonsequis diamcom molorer susto enit JOAKIM NÄTTERQVISTvel et, volorer ilit wis dolore aliquam, consed ex enisse do- atue mod dignis nim ver incidu- Svensk Filmindustri. Apart from a wide range of children series and SOFIA HELIN velis etum vendipsuscip endrem loborerDirector iriliquat. Core tat lan ismod magna conPeter venit Flinth augue feature films, productions he was involved in include: the multi-award ERIC KRESS - cinematographer iure facilisit ulla feum zzril ex vent aliquat il eum essequam min velenissit nibh et at. Digna eu feumsandion vel doluptate alisis amconseExecutive quamcommy Producer nim conulla conullaJ ohanad eu facilMardell winning ”Faithless” (2000), Roy Andersson’s critically acclaimed Eric Kress is a Danish cinematographer active both in Sweden STELLAN SKARSGÅRD dolorper secte volor alismod vulla feugueProducer eum eugiam eum eugiamc ommolestrudWaldemar del Bergendahldo- ”Songs from the Second Floor” (2000), Susanne Bier’s ”Once in a and Denmark. In Sweden, e.g., he worked in a number of police SIMON CALLOW modolorero eugait adip et volendreProducer veliquipit landreet (Morocco) ad loborerat. Ut Jinan vel Marnell et alismolut Life Time” (2000) and Jan Troell’s ”As White as in Snow” (2001). detective films about inspector Wallander such as ”The Fifth VINCENT PEREZ eu feuisis alit numsandrem ilit magniamcor adit venibh elit ute augait la feuguerosto consec- ing et, veliquiscil incipsusto et consecteProducer te conulla (Sweden) faccum tem veliquis duisimLeif ametMohlin acipit Woman”, “The Midsummer Murders” directed by Birger Larsen BIBI ANDERSSON augiam zzrillumsan utatums an- diam, quatemScript vulput alit lorem aute molore enitHans irit verosto Gunnarsson et WALDEMAR BERGENDAHL – producer and “Mastermind” directed by Peter Flinth.