Je M'appelle Agneta

Je M'appelle Agneta is a Swedish film directed by Johanna Runevad. The film follows Agneta (Eva Melander), a 49-year-old Swedish woman trapped in a dull and emotionally empty life after her children leave home and her marriage grows distant. Feeling invisible and dissatisfied, she impulsively accepts what she believes is an au pair job in the south of France. Upon arriving, she discovers that her real assignment is caring for Einar (Claes Månsson), an eccentric and aging gay Swedish man living in near-isolation. As their unlikely friendship deepens, Einar’s candor and unconventional outlook on life encourage Agneta to rediscover her own desires, identity, and sense of freedom. Set against the backdrop of rural France, the film becomes a warm and bittersweet story about aging, self-discovery, and the courage to choose authenticity later in life.

But is it a good gerontological film? Two remarks in this regard:

The first concerns aging and intersectionality. No one is ever “just old” — they are an old woman, an older person with a disability, an aging immigrant. Old age is always accompanied by additional personal dimensions that make each experience of aging different and unique, shaped by an accumulation of traits and an entire life journey.

In this sense this film is an excellent example of the significance of intersectionality in old age: the main character is a Swedish gay man living in France after separating from his wife and young son. His aging process is unlike anyone else’s. (And by the way, the film is not only a gerontological film but also a feminist one, since the film’s female protagonist — although not formally “old” — also experiences forms of aging unique to her womanhood.) In this sense, the film is an outstanding gerontological work, illustrating the complexity and diversity of intersectionality in aging.

The second remark concerns non-American gerontological films. It is not that there is any shortage of excellent American gerontological films (many of which have been reviewed on this blog before). But — and I say this cautiously — they are often beautiful films that, at a certain level, remain somewhat predictable and situated within a familiar cultural framework. European or South American films (or others, to which unfortunately I may have less access) sometimes possess the ability to break away from familiar conventions and present original and surprising cultural and cinematic perspectives. This is also true in the present case: the fact that this is a Swedish film set in France, spoken in a mix of Swedish, French, and English, opens a window onto a different, unfamiliar, and original reality — making the film engaging and surprising.

In conclusion, as you can probably tell, I greatly enjoyed the film, and I believe it is a surprising gerontological work that enables a fascinating discussion about the importance of intersectionality in understanding old age.

2026

Sweden

Director: Johanna Runevad

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zEV1hSRd25Q