SYNOPSIS

Lydia, the daughter of a landscape painter, and Arvid, a young journalist at the beginning of his career, fall in love at first sight. But the time is not ripe for their happiness: after the sudden death of her father, Lydia finds herself without an inheritance. Believing that he has nothing to offer her, penniless Arvid, who comes from a poor background, shies away from the idea of marriage. They part. When they meet again ten years later – both are now married and have children – they embark upon a passionate affair with unforeseeable consequences.

PROGRAM NOTE

The second film directed by Pernilla AUGUST (her
 first film, Beyond in 2010), A Serious Game is a
 film adaptation of Swedish literary giant Hjalmar
 SODERBERG\'s 1912 novel A Serious Game . The
 film follows the standard formula for a melodrama:
 a love at first sight, a love that renews and rekindles
 with each coincidental encounter with one another
 throughout life, and a seemingly destined love that
 cannot be resisted or escaped. But the eternally
 turning wheel of love, coincidence, and destiny only
 turn with the support of infidelity, secrets, and lies.
 Therefore, the classic melodrama also has another
 formula beneath its surface: that once the passion
 and chemistry of love run out, the love turns into a
 tragedy.
 Lydia and Arvid fall for each other at first sight but
 each ends up marrying someone else due to financial
 reasons. The two meet again by chance, each now
 with their own kids and family, and rekindle their love.
 The truth is that it is the female protagonist, Lydia, who
 is characterized by her relentless energy to continue
 driving towards and maintain her love. This \'will to
 change\' (Bell HOOKS), reveals that this melodrama
 was created by a woman. This is a classic melodrama
 that, with its realistic portrayal of the newly rising
 classes and the life of a man from the intellectual
 class and that of a female artist in early 20th century
 Stockholm, Sweden, confirms SCHOPENHAUER\'s
 theory of love – that love does not always bring
 happiness. [Sunah KIM]