The Most Beautiful Boy in the World

In 1970, filmmaker Luchino Visconti traveled throughout Europe looking for the perfect boy to personify absolute beauty in his adaptation for the screen of Thomas Mann’s Death in Venice. In Stockholm, he discovered Björn Andrésen, a shy 15-year-old teenager whom he brought to international fame overnight and led to spending a short but intense part of his turbulent youth between the Lido in Venice, London, the Cannes Film Festival and far-away Japan. Fifty years after the premiere of DEATH IN VENICE, Björn takes us on a remarkable journey made of personal memories, cinema history, stardust, and tragic events.

Cast

Björn Andresen
Björn Andresen
The Most Beautiful Boy in the World - Poster 1

The Most Beautiful Boy in the World

Kristina Lindström, Kristian Petri

  • Documentary
Production Country / Year
Sweden 2021
Language
en., sv., ja., fr., it. OF mit de. UT
Format
DCP, Color, 94min
2.39:1, Discrete 5.1

Director & Crew

Kristina Lindström 1

Kristina Lindström

Born in 1957 in Sundbyberg/Sweden. Studied journalism in Gothenburg. Work as head of culture at SVT. Active as writer, journalist and filmmaker.


Filmography


2003 PER JONSSON, Fernsehdokumentation

2012 PALME, Dokumentarfilm

2014 ASTRID, TV Mini-Serie

2017 ERAN - PUNK I TRE DELAR, TV Mini-Serie

2020 TYSTNADEN - EN FILM OM SILENCE, MUSIKEN OCH TIDEN, Fernsehdokumentation

2021 THE MOST BEAUTIFUL BOY IN THE WORLD (Co-Regie), Dokumentarfilm HOF 2021

Kristian Petri 1

Kristian Petri


Born in 1956 in Ärtemark/Sweden. Studied philosophy and English literature. Active as filmmaker, writer, and cultural journalist.


Filmography


1987 ROCKET GARDEN, Kurzfilm

1989 TONG TANA - EN RESA TILL BORNEOS INRE, Dokumentarfilm

1995 ATLANTEN, Dokumentarfilm

1995 SOMMAREN, Spielfilm

2000 FYREN, Dokumentarfilm

2002 TOKYO NOISE, Dokumentarfilm

2003 DETALJER, Spielfilm 2005 BRUNNEN, Dokumentarfilm 2010 OND TRO, Spielfilm

2016 HOTELLET, Dokumentarfilm

2018 LÅNGFILM 136, Dokumentarfilm

2020 TYSTNADEN - EN FILM OM SILENCE, MUSIKEN OCH TIDEN, Fernsehdokumentation

2021 THE MOST BEAUTIFUL BOY IN THE WORLD (Co-Regie), Dokumentarfilm HOF 2021

“We filmed THE MOST BEAUTIFUL BOY IN THE WORLD for five years in Stockholm, Copenhagen, Paris, Budapest, Venice, and Tokyo, following in Björn’s footsteps. With him, we searched to learn the truth about his mother’s death and his father’s identity by reaching into the archives and interviews with close family.

We searched for people who had crossed his path over the decades. It was of course difficult to find some of them fifty years on, but miraculously many of them were available and willing to talk in front of the camera. […] 

We believe more in interesting questions than in simple answers. This is not an easy story. We hope it is gripping. We hope that Björn will come forward as the complex and interesting person that he is. This is a story with many layers, a box within a box within a box.”

Director of Photography
Erik Vallsten
Editor
Hanna Lejonqvist
Dino Jonsäter
Sound Designer
Brian Dyrby
Kristoffer Salting
Music Composer
Anna von Hausswolff
Filip Leyman
Producer
Stina Gardell

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