Oland – Sweden’s Forgotten Hollywood Star

Welcome to an entire afternoon dedicated to Warner Oland! He acted alongside Marlene Dietrich and Greta Garbo, appeared in nearly a hundred films, and lived a luxurious life in Beverly Hills—yet he has vanished from Swedish film history. Who was he? The talks will be held in English. 

Warner Oland (1879–1938), originally Werner Ölund from Bjurholm, had an improbable career that began during an era of world wars, prohibition, and the stock market crash. During the early golden age of American cinema, he became world-famous for portraying the villain Fu Manchu and the Chinese detective Charlie Chan—characters that still influence how Asians are depicted on screen today. For a white Western actor to portray Asian roles, known as “yellowface,” is now considered highly problematic, but it became both Oland’s signature and his curse.

Kim Khavar Fahlstedt has written a comprehensive biography on Warner Oland, offering a story of dreams, belonging, and escape. Khavar Fahlstedt is a film historian and associate professor of film studies at Örebro University. The conversation will be moderated by Per Perstrand from the film podcast *Intresseklubben Antecknar*.

In collaboration with Västerbottens Museum, Warner Oland Academy in Bjurholm, and the Archives of Popular Movements.

**Program:**

12:00
Film Screening of Old San Francisco

14:00
Discussion between Kim Khavar Fahlstedt and Per Perstrand about Warner Oland.

15:00
Film Screening of Shanghai Express

All events are free of charge.