Festivals - Sundance Film Festival 2021 : The most beautiful boy in the world will have its world premiere

By Mulder, 05 january 2021

Björn Andrésen was 15 when he starred as Tadzio opposite Dirk Bogarde in Luchino Visconti’s adaptation of Death in Venice. A year later, during the film’s Cannes premiere, Visconti proclaimed Andrésen to be “the world’s most beautiful boy.” A comment that might have seemed flattering at the time became a burden that tainted Andrésen’s life.

Through a fascinating mix of archival footage and contemporary interactions with Andrésen, co-directors Kristina Lindström and Kristian Petri explore the nature of overnight stardom and the objectification that sometimes comes with it. Andrésen, now in his 60s, bravely opens up about the irresponsible treatment he was subjected to and how the “curse of beauty” distorted his formative years. Being immortalized as an iconic boy meant that Andrésen spent most of his adult life trying to be invisible, refusing to have his identity shaped by a shallow fantasy about who he was. The Most Beautiful Boy in the World is a thoughtful and quietly devastating meditation on obsession, trauma, and the cost of fame.

Synopsis :
In 1971, due to the world premiere of Death in Venice, Italian director Lucino Visconti proclaimed his Tadzio as the world's most beautiful boy. A shadow that today, 50 years later, weighs Björn Andresen's life.

The most beautiful boy in the world (Sweden)
Directed by Kristina Lindstro?m, Kristian Petri
Produced by Stina Gardell
Music by Anna von Hausswolff, Filip Leyman
Sound Designers : Brian Dyrby, Kristoffer Salting
Post-Producer : Jonas Goldmann
Production Coordinator : Frida Neema Järnbert
Cinematography : Erik Vallsten
Edited by Hanna Lejonqvist, Dino Jonsäter
Release date : January 29, 2021
Running time : 94 minutes

Premiere : jan. 29 - 9:00pm // Second screening : jan. 31 - 4:00pm (local time)

(Source : press release)