Lily Cole Joins Hilma af Klint Biopic

Further casting has been revealed as filming begins for Hilma, a biopic of Swedish artist and feminist pioneer Hilma af Klint. Lena Olin and Tora Hallström, who star as Hilma af Klint at different stages of her life, are joined by Lily Cole, Catherine Chalk, Rebecca Calder and Maeve Dermody as co-founders of spiritualist group The Five.

Hilma will explore the enigmatic life of Hilma af Klint (1862-1944), whose unconventional art and spirituality meant that her 1,300 works remained largely unknown for decades. She developed an abstract pictorial language long before her male counterparts, and wrote in her will that the works should not be made public for at least twenty years after her death beacuse only then would their significance be understood.

Together with her four friends Anna Cassel (Catherine Chalk), Mathilda Nilsson (Lily Cole), Cornelia Cederberg (Rebecca Calder) and Sigrid Hedman (Maeve Dermody), Hilma af Klint formed the spiritualist group The Five to develop their spirituality and artistry. This joint spiritual journey fundamentally changed Hilma af Klint’s artistic expression and helped her to complete her world famous temple paintings.

Lily Cole said: “The Five challenged all boundaries of the time and explored topics such as spirituality, sexuality and art. Hilma’s art, as a result of their collaboration, differed from anything ever done before and undoubtedly set the artistic agenda for a century ahead. It is a fascinating story to delve into.”

Hilma, written and directed by Lasse Hallström (The Cider House Rules), will premiere exclusively on Viaplay across the Nordic region towards the end of 2022.