Maj Wechselmann

Maj Wechselmann
Wechselmann in 2012
Born(1942-04-01)1 April 1942
Copenhagen, Denmark
NationalitySwedish
Occupation(s)Director, documentary filmmaker

Maj Wechselmann (born 1 April 1942, in Copenhagen), is a Danish-Swedish documentary director and filmmaker, known for expressing radical social criticism in her documentaries.[1]

Wechselmann was born in Copenhagen, the daughter of Bruno Wechselmann and Reina Korinman. She went through drama school in Odense, and studied film directing at the University College of Film, Radio, Television and Theatre in Stockholm in the early 1970s.[2] Her breakthrough as a documentary filmmaker was in 1972 with Viggen 37: Ett militärplans historia, about the Swedish Saab 37 Viggen combat aircraft.[1]

Wechselmann's films often deal with themes such as international solidarity and current political events, and her perspective is that of the political left. She is a member of the Left Party (Vänsterpartiet), and was a Left Party candidate in the Swedish European Parliament election of 2009.[3] She is sometimes controversial, and has been described as pugnacious[4] and humourless,[5] but her critics also remark on the strong pathos that drives her work.[4][6]

Maj Wechselmann in 1990

She has received a number of awards for her work, including the Swedish Peace and Arbitration Society's peace prize[7] the Lenin Award,[8] and the Moa Award.

  1. ^ a b "Maj Wechselmann". Nationalencyklopedin (in Swedish). Retrieved 16 July 2017.
  2. ^ Öhrström, Kerstin (1988). "Maj Wechselmann". Vem är hon: kvinnor i Sverige: biografisk uppslagsbok (in Swedish). ISBN 91-1-863422-2. Retrieved 16 July 2017.
  3. ^ "Val till Europaparlamentet - Valsedlar" (in Swedish). Swedish Election Authority. Retrieved 16 July 2017.
  4. ^ a b Junström, Marika (2014). "Maj Wechselmann". The Swedish Film Database. Swedish Film Institute. Retrieved 16 July 2017.
  5. ^ Berg, Mattias (23 March 2004). "Wechselmann beskriver kriget backstage" (in Swedish). Sveriges Radio. Retrieved 16 July 2017.
  6. ^ Espinoza, Isabelle (11 January 2013). ""Drivs av ett stilla patos"" (in Swedish). Sveriges Television. Retrieved 16 July 2017.
  7. ^ "Fredsordförande omvald" (in Swedish). Swedish Peace and Arbitration Society. 18 May 2009. Retrieved 16 July 2017.
  8. ^ "Maj Wechselmann | Leninpriset". Retrieved 2020-03-03.