The Girl in Tails

A female graduate in tails shocks her conservative surroundings in Karin Swanström’s 1926 film adaptation of a Hjalmar Bergman story, now marking its 100th anniversary.

In the small town of Wadköping, graduation season is in full swing and young Katja finishes her studies with top marks. A grand graduation ball is planned in the presence of the town’s powerful matriarch. The only problem is that Katja has no dress, as her father has spent all the money on her brother’s wardrobe. When the quick-witted Katja arrives at the ball wearing tails instead, the conservative community is scandalized. A leading figure in early Swedish cinema, Karin Swanström also appears on screen as the town’s fearsome ruler in this brisk satire — often regarded as Sweden’s first feminist comedy.

• Annie Karlsson