An expedition into the feminist icon, Pippi Longstocking, told through the people portraying her across the world.
SYNOPSIS
Self-sufficient, quick-witted, and with superhuman strength – the children’s character Pippi Longstocking has become a cultural icon. But how is it that this 80-year-old girl has become more relevant now than ever?
"I am Pippi" takes on the beloved character from a new perspective – through the people who bring her to life. We meet “Pippis” across 15 countries in Europe, China, and the US. Pippis who are touring, nursing, and partying, who are children, drag queens, activists, and football fans.
The film is an exploration of the legacy of Pippi Longstocking and everything she represents and means today. At the same time, it offers a snapshot of our times – a world in urgent need of hope, culture, kindness, and the courage to question authority.
Director Statement
My first job, when I was 19, was playing Pippi Longstocking at the children´s culture house Junibacken in Stockholm. For a year, I worked 9 to 5, improvising and interacting with the visitors as Pippi. For me, who had always been ’the good girl,’ an ’Annika,’ this experience had a huge impact. I got the chance to leave my insecure teenage self in the dressing room and step into Pippi’s shoes for a transformative year. Suddenly, I dared to do everything; talk to strangers, climb rooftops, break all the rules.
Many years later I started to reflect on my experience and discussed it with Love Martinsen, co-director. And this was the starting point for "I am Pippi".
The film is an exploration of Pippi as a phenomenon and a tribute to everything I experienced in Pippi’s shoes: Freedom. Questioning. Playfulness. In other words, everything the world is crying out for today.
We are witnessing a dehumanized world, where everything is measured and evaluated; where we have stopped thinking for ourselves; and where robots and humans are becoming increasingly alike. We see reduced cultural budgets, nationalism, and the growing presence of fascist and authoritarian leadership. Just like when Astrid Lindgren started writing the first Pippi book, 1941.
ABOUT FILMMAKER(S)
Maria Loohufvud & Love Martinsen
Maria Loohufvud and Love Martinsen’s debut feature ”Calendar Girls”, about a senior womens dance team in Florida, premiered at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival, screened at more than 50 festivals, and was released theatrically in Japan, the US, and beyond.
Maria and Love are both award-winning in their previous careers as art director and music composer, and their combined backgrounds create a unique blend of expertise that shines through in their films’ themes, style and tone.
Maria can also add ”Pippi Longstocking actress” to her CV.
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Women Make Movies (WMM), Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit media arts organization registered with the New York Charities Bureau of New York State and accepts charitable donations on behalf of this project. Your donation will be spent by the filmmaker(s) toward the production and completion of this media project. No services or goods are provided by Women Make Movies, the filmmaker(s) or anyone else associated with this project in exchange for your charitable donation.
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