Offret
The Sacrifice | Opfer
© Svenska Filminstitutet
Tommy Kjellqvist, Erland Josephson
Offret | The Sacrifice | Opfer by Andrei Tarkovsky
SWE, FRA 1986, Berlinale Classics
© Svenska Filminstitutet
Erland Josephson, Tommy Kjellqvist
Offret | The Sacrifice | Opfer by Andrei Tarkovsky
SWE, FRA 1986, Berlinale Classics
© Svenska Filminstitutet
Sven Wolter, Susan Fleetwood, Valérie Mairesse, Filippa Franzén
Offret | The Sacrifice | Opfer by Andrei Tarkovsky
SWE, FRA 1986, Berlinale Classics
© Svenska Filminstitutet
Former actor Alexander has withdrawn to live on a Swedish island. He is celebrating his 50th birthday there with his wife, two children and a few guests. When the Earth begins to tremble, the group hears that nuclear war has broken out. To appease God, Alexander is prepared to offer himself up as a sacrifice by sleeping with the maid, Maria, called a “witch”… This was the last film directed by Andrei Tarkovsky, who was already sick when it was made. It premiered just a few weeks after the Chernobyl nuclear meltdown and was hailed as the graphic admonition of a “visionary” (Ingmar Bergman). And indeed, in poetic images and philosophical-religious dialogue, The Sacrifice marries the merciless précis of its protagonist’s life with a powerful plea for modern humans to engage in self-reflection and self-restraint.
The 4K restoration faithfully retains the masterful lighting design and colour composition, including the sepia and black-and-white passages. Cinematographer Sven Nykvist won a special prize at the Cannes festival for his outstanding work on the film.
The 4K restoration faithfully retains the masterful lighting design and colour composition, including the sepia and black-and-white passages. Cinematographer Sven Nykvist won a special prize at the Cannes festival for his outstanding work on the film.
With
- Erland Josephson
- Susan Fleetwood
- Valérie Mairesse
- Allan Edwall
- Guðrún Gísladóttir
- Sven Wollter
- Filippa Franzén
- Tommy Kjellqvist
Crew
| Director | Andrei Tarkovsky |
| Screenplay | Andrei Tarkovsky |
| Cinematography | Sven Nykvist |
| Editing | Andrei Tarkovsky, Michal Leszczylowski |
| Music | W. Gönnen Swedish and Japanese folk music, Johann Sebastian Bach |
| Sound Design | Owe Svensson |
| Sound | Owe Svensson, Bo Persson |
| Art Director | Anna Asp |
| Costumes | Inger Pehrsson |
| Make-Up | Florence Fouquier |
| Casting | Priscilla John |
| Producer | Anna-Lena Wibom |
World sales
Svenska Filminstitutet
Additional information
DCP: Svenska Filminstitutet, Stockholm