- There is a person on the left who has no lower body;
can we cover him?
It is a film recording of a scene from Alfons Åberg, and Tomas Alfredson looks intently at the monitor.
A computer-controlled camera that moves with millimeter precision, and laser-cut images, directly from Gunilla Bergström's illustrations, will be given new life.
- Gunilla and I started talking 30 years ago.
The idea was that we would make a film of Alfons with live actors, says Tomas Alfredson.
Bergström passed away this summer
But soon the couple realized that it would limit the children's own interpretations of the characters and the stories, and instead they went back to the original pictures.
When Gunilla Bergström passed away this summer, she had seen parts of the new material, and she was satisfied.
For Tomas Alfredson, Alfons Åberg is a very lively character, despite his 50 years.
- In today's consumerism, I believe that Alfon's calm and contemplation, and celebration of everyday life, has an important place to fill, he says, and seems to be supported by the audience: ten million books sold in 35 languages, and always at the top of library statistics.
- Writing exciting about everyday life is the most difficult thing, says the actor and author Jonas Karlsson, who is the voice in the new films.
He tells how he experimented with his own children;
how slow could you read?
Sometimes, he admits, the experiment coincided with a tired toddler's parent's need for small micro-naps during breaks.
- Here is Alfons Åberg ........... four years ........... he is mischievous sometimes ........
The first film, Aja baja, Alfons Åberg, has its cinema premiere on 21 January.