Sonja - The White Swan

Institute History

  • 2019 Sundance Film Festival

Description

Before there were the Ice Capades, there was Sonja Henie. In 1936, Henie has three Olympic gold medals and 10 world-championship wins under her belt, and she is about to tour America in her first stadium-style show, replete with sparkly costumes and spectacular set pieces. Once in Los Angeles, she decides to try her hand at acting. Initially doubted by studio executives, Sonja quickly proves her worth and becomes one of the most highly paid actresses of her time.

Veteran Sundance Film Festival director Anne Sewitsky (Homesick; Happy, Happy) captures the grandiose rise and fall of Sonja’s career with an intimacy that pushes beyond traditional biopic conventions. Ine Marie Wilmann is electric on and off the ice as Sonja, embodying her character’s transformation from the happy-go-lucky “Maiden from Norway” to the cruel, untrusting Sonja of Hollywood. Grounded in the sexism and double standards of the time, Sonja - The White Swan dives under the glossy veneer of Hollywood movie magic to reveal the greed and jealousy that lie beneath its icy surface.

— A.D.

Screening Details

As you use our Online Archives, please understand that the information presented from Festivals, Labs, and other activities is taken directly from official publications from each year. While this information is limited and doesn't necessarily represent the full list of participants (e.g. actors and crew), it is the list given to us by the main film/play/project contact at the time, based on the space restrictions of our publications. Each entry in the Online Archives is meant as a historical record of a particular film, play, or project at the time of its involvement with Sundance Institute. For this reason, we can only amend an entry if a name is misspelled, or if the entry does not correctly reflect the original publication. If you have questions or comments, please email [email protected]