Fritänkaren

The film portrays the life of the Swedish playwright, novelist, poet, essayist, and painter August Strindberg from 1849 to 1912. Drawing on his extensive correspondence and literary output, it spans from his supposed first work, the drama "The Free Thinker" (1869), to the posthumously published "The Occult Diary" (1977). The film also gives space to Strindberg's three wives—Siri von Essen, Frida Uhl, and Harriet Bosse—and his children Karin, Greta, and Hans. The unpublished first drama, "The Free Thinker," which depicts a young man forced to break with family and tradition to follow his conscience and ideals, is presented as a prophecy of the author's own life.