Gunila Ambjörnsson (12 March 1938 – 16 November 2013) was a Swedish author, playwright, and director. She wrote 20+ books and directed 5+ films and two TV shows. She is best known for directing the show (1970-1972).
Personal life On 12 March 1938, Ambjörnsson was born in Kalmar, Sweden to Otto Falklind and Gunborg Lundgren. She had a brother named Hans. Ambjörnsson spent her childhood in Gothenberg, Sweden. Growing up, she spent her summers on Fårö writing.
Ambjörnsson graduated with a Master of Philosophy from the University of Gothenberg in 1962. At the university, she worked as an editor at Götheborgske Spionen, the student newspaper.
Ambjörnsson married Ronny Ambjörnsson in 1958. They had one child, Ola Ambjörnsson. They later divorced in 1973.
Career In 1966, Ambjörnsson began working for Sveriges Television, the national television broadcaster of Sweden. She also taught directing and screenwriting at the Dramatiska Institutet.
In the late 1960s, Ambjörnsson went on a trip to Czechoslovakia and "was greatly impressed by the high quality of the children’s television, films, books, and plays that she saw there." She wanted to improve the media for Sweden's youth since she believed "children deserved to be treated as competent and aware individuals."
Ambjörnsson published her first book Truls in 1967. Her big break came the next year with Skräpkultur åt barnen. The book described ongoing debates in children's media and proposed solutions to the "trash culture" she believed children were receiving in Sweden at the time. She would go on to write more than 20 fiction and non-fiction books.
In the late 1960s, Ambjörnsson also collaborated on the creation of , one of Sweden's first independent theatre companies. She worked as a playwright and director in the early productions of the company. She hired some company members in her later films.
Ambjörnsson had her first film roles in 1970. She served as a producer for the movie Veronica: en sjörövarberättelse, and as a producer and writer for the TV series, Ville, Valle och Viktor. A spin-off of , Ville, Valle och Viktor would run for two seasons and nine holiday specials. Discography for the show would win a 1972 Grammis Award for Children's Record of the Year.
She left Sveriges Television in 1985. Through the late 1980s until her death, she worked as a freelance author and director.
One of her later books, Tigerhjärta, also was released to positive reviews. Ying Toijer-Nilsson for Svenska Dagbladet described the book as having "evocative staging", adding that "As soon as the book was finished, I took hold of it again, then with 'Macbeth' in my hand to really enjoy both the Scottish and the Gotland atmosphere. And, of course, the author's skill in intertwining several cultural layers into an exciting contemporary story."
Ambjörnsson's last book, Från de inställda rymningarnas tid, was published the year of her death in 2013.
Bibliography
Fiction
Truls (1967) Barnteater - en klassfråga (1970) Tiga, tala, handla: en antologi med texter från vår tid (1971) Läsning för barn: orientering i dagens barnlitteratur (1971) Här kommer Ville & Valle & Viktor (1972) Den mystiske mand slår til: en bog om Ville og Valle og Viktor (1976) – Translation of Here comes Ville & Valle & Viktor Pappa - en kärlekshistoria: en antologi (1986) Spindelvävsridån (1990) Huset Silvercronas gåta (1992) Trädet och tiden (1999) Berättelser från andra sidan (2000) Tidens fånge (2000) Tigerhjärta (2003) Från de inställda rymningarnas tid (2013)
Children's fiction
Ivar den förskräcklige: en storebrors berättelse (1996) Vilse i tiden (1998) Silverapan (2004) Magic.circle.com (2008)
Non-fiction
Skräpkultur åt barnen (1968) Folkhemsprinsessorna: om att växa upp på 50-talet (1987) Äventyrerskor (2001) Vart tog Fredrika vägen?: en bok om Flickläroverket och flickorna (2004) Tidsandans krumbukter (2007)
Filmography YearNameEnglish NameMediumRole1970Veronica: en sjörövarberättelseVeronica: a pirate storyMovieProducer1970Ville, Valle och Viktor upptäcker SverigeVille, Valle and Viktor discover SwedenTV seasonWriter, Producer 1972Ville, Valle och Viktor och den mystiske mannenVille, Valle and Viktor and the mysterious manTV seasonWriter, Producer1974The Riddle of the House of SilfvercronaTV SeriesDirector, Writer1980Sista varningenLast warningMovieWriter, Cinematographer1980Kvällen före dagen efterThe evening before the next dayVideoDirector, Writer1985Rörande granars inverkan på människors sinnesfridThe impact of touching firs on people's peace of mindMovieDirector19851985. What happened to the cat in the year of the rat?MovieDirector1988Det finns för lite indianerThere are too few IndiansMovieDirector, Writer1991Drömspår: En film om längtanDream track: A film about longingMovieDirector, Writer, Editor1993Sagan om pappan som bakade prinsessorThe story of the father who baked princessesMovieDirector, Writer1994The spruce forest in our hearts - a peasant filmMovieDirector, Writer1995If you stop, I'll runMovieDirector, Writer
References