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Moominland Tales: The Life of Tove Jansson + Introduction (U)

Total Immersion: The World of Tove Jansson

,Cinema 1
Tove Jansson smiles at the camera, sitting at a table with models of four Moomins characters in front of her.

Art meets life in this extraordinary documentary on Finnish writer Tove Jansson, creator of the Moomins series.

Moomintroll and the Moomin family are beloved worldwide by those who have grown up following Jansson's philosophical trolls and their adventures in Moominland.

This documentary reveals the strong autobiographical slant in the Moomins series, tracing the author's own journey from living the bohemian life of an artist in war-torn Helsinki to becoming a recluse on a remote island in the Gulf of Finland.

Enjoying unprecedented access to Jansson's personal archive, the film reveals a compelling figure whose creative genius extended beyond Moominland to satire, fine art and masterful adult fiction – not least her highly regarded The Summer Book. 

With home movie footage shot by Tuulikki Pietilä, Jansson's long-term partner, it offers a unique glimpse of an uncompromising, fun-loving woman for whom love was the central theme of her work.

Tagged with: Cinema BBC SO Total Immersion: The World of Tove Jansson

Information about the introduction for this screening will follow in due course.

The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) provides guidance to audiences, to help them choose what’s right for them and avoid what’s not. For guidance, please click here and type the film title into the search bar. 

Film information
  • Release year   2012
  • Country of origin   UK
  • Director   Eleanor Yule
  • Runtime   59 mins

Ticket prices

Standard
£15.50 (£14 + £1.50 transaction fee)

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Cinema 1

Location
Barbican Cinema 1 is located within the main Barbican building on Level -2. Head to Level G and walk towards the Lakeside Terrace where you’ll find stairs and lifts to take you down to the venue floor.   

Address
Barbican Centre
Silk Street, London
EC2Y 8DS

Public transport
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