Vilgot Sjöman’s film about a young woman exploring 1960s Sweden and her sexual identity is considered one of the most controversial movies of all time.

Starring Sjöman and Lena Nyman, I Am Curious (Yellow) is a landmark film from and about Swedish society during the sexual revolution. It was seized by customs in the United States, igniting a heated court battle, influencing censorship laws while being banned in numerous cities. You may also remember the film from Don Draper being “scandalized” by it on Mad Men.

In his book, Scandinavian Blue, Jack Stevenson says, “…this film was about more than creative freedom or nudity. It was an experiment in form and content, an attempt to break down the barrier between reality and fiction and a bid to demystify the filmmaking process. It would be a lot of different things all at once; a rumination on modern youth, a take on the state of Swedish society and a check-list of Sjöman’s own personal hang-ups. And not least it was an occasionally poignant story about a confused and conflicted teenage girl who, armed with a tape recorder, youthful indignation and a yen to fantasize, goes out onto the streets to find answers.”

Part of the Nitehawk Naughties SCANDINAVIAN EROTIC CINEMA program.