Sweet Land (2005)

Anyone with European ancestors who settled in the upper mid-west US should watch this movie as a peek into their family history. For the rest, this should be viewed as wonderful storytelling.

Elizabeth Reaser plays a German mail-order bride who arrives in rural Minnesota after the end of World War I. The story is about the connection between herself, her husband, and the land they worked for nearly 50 years. Patrick Heusinger plays her husband, a socially backwards Norwegian.

Their love story spans 5 decades and shows us all what it means to truly work the land. Their hardships and attitudes are indicative of many of our ancestors.

Beautifully photographed and edited, this movie is art as well as history.

Watch this movie with someone who has Scandinavian ancestors.