The value of storytelling is beautifully illustrated in the film Sweet Land. If you haven’t seen the film, rent it on DVD; if you’ve already seen the film, see it again. You missed something.
Sweet Land is an independent film set and filmed in Minnesota; it tells the story of Olav, a Norwegian farmer, and Inge, his mail-order German bride, who is ostracized by Olav’s Norwegian neighbors from the moment she arrives, circa 1920. Critics have hailed the film for its cinemetography, its plot, its sparse script, and its masterful acting. And while the film deserves the multitude of praise it has received, all the reviewers have focused on the love that develops between the main characters.
But there’s another, more powerful relationship revealed in Sweet Land, one between the elderly Inge and her grandson, the man charged with perserving her legacy. It is between these two characters that the real power of Sweet Land unfolds. Inge’s story is revealed by the grandson and her legacy endures because her tale exerts power over him. (To give you more detail than this would be to spoil the plot for you.)
If you're unsure about the enduring power of a personal life story, even a story of a simple immigrant or a humble farmer, see Sweet Land. Once you do, you’ll understand how our life stories allow us to live on long after we’ve drawn our final breath.
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