AllMovie

A man's effort to reunite his family unwittingly uncovers some painful secrets in this drama from Sweden. Magnus (Per Graffman) is a photographer who wants to do something special for his mother Elisabeth (Basia Frydman) in honor of her upcoming seventy-fifth birthday. Magnus thinks it would be good to get the family together for a group portrait, since there aren't any pictures of his parents and siblings all together, and his father is in poor health. But as Magnus tries to reunite his family for a sitting, the sad history of his mother's life is played out for the cameras. As a young woman, Elisabeth (played in her youth by Alexandra Rapaport) was left pregnant by a brief dalliance with her lover, and she was forced to give up the child. Despondent, Elisabeth found comfort when she fell in love with Lars (Mikael Persbrandt), but after they were married, he revealed himself as an alcoholic who didn't much care for children and often lashed out at their son. Elisabeth's depression returned as her relationship with Lars became increasingly distant, and all these years later, Magnus's efforts to bring the family together for a reunion opens more wounds than it heals, especially as he tries to find the daughter his mother gave away before she was married. Inga Tarar (aka No Tears) was the first directorial effort from veteran producer Hakan Bjerking.