Helene S

“Hélène S.” is a dramatic reconstruction of the life of Helene Schjerfbeck (1862-1946), one of the most important Nordic painters. Hers was a life of constant battle with the conflict caused when her strong urge to paint met with opposition from her family and the critics. Her work with delicate color, pure form and ruthless, even cruel self-portraits are visible for all but the person Helene can only be seen through more than 2000 letters to friends and fellow artists. These letters reveal her memories, reflections and events from a period when Finland went through a political, social and artistic upheaval. At the same time Helene herself persistently searched her own path, own expression, in spite of isolation and illness. “Nobody really knows anything about me. They praise me for what I am not. Some say that art has been all, others that life.” The script is based on Helene Schjerfbeck´s correspondence but has to take some liberties in interpretation. As in her paintings, Helene in her intense letters unmasks the object – and at the same time creates a new fascinating secret.