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Jonatan S. Wachter as Young Simon
Karl Martin Erikkson as Young Isak

A Swedish film based on the 1985 novel by Marianne Fredriksson, Simon and the Oaks tells the story of two very different families who become intertwined in the buildup to WWII.

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Simon dreams of the world beyond his simple rural household and is an avid reader, eventually convincing his reluctant parents to send him to an elite grammar school in the city. An outsider, he soon befriends the wealthy Jewish boy Isak, son of a highly cosmopolitan family who live in a palatial apartment with a cook and crystal chandeliers as well as a seemingly endless selection of books. While Isak takes his privilege for granted, Simon bonds with his friend's father Ruben over their shared love of learning.

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The catch? Isak's mother is a histrionic mess, who somehow manages to overreact to the real threat of a Nazi invasion. She refuses to ever leave her dimly lit dressing room. One night, with the war threatening to spill over into Sweden, she drugs her husband and son and self-immolates. They manage to rescue her in time and she is sent to the sanitarium. Simon's family offer to take care of Isak for a while, and Ruben agrees.

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After a while, Isak emerges from his grief by joining Simon's dad in woodworking. Isak is almost like the son he never had, and the two start a typical father-son type project of building a boat. Simon, jealous, clings to Ruben, and after an evening at a concert the pair discover a deep shared passion for music.

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The rest of the plot is less interesting. There's the clash between the two fathers, a 'twist' about Simon's origins that can be seen coming a mile away, and the second half of the film is about the two boys as young adults with a lot of  heterosexual psychodrama.  But overall it's engaging enough to be worth a viewing.

Thanks for the clips and info on this film, 'diogenes'. I also appreciate your efforts to keep BA going. Where is everybody?