Anja Breien

Anja Breien

Anja Breien (b. 1940) was educated at the French film school L'Institut des hautes études cinématographiques (IDHEC), graduating in 1964, after first having studied french at the University of Oslo, as well as having had her start in the movie-business working as a script supervisor on Nils R. Müllers film Det Store Varpet in 1961. She made her directorial debut with the short film Growing Up in 1967, based on a medieval legend. The short was later to become part of the portmanteau film Days From A Thousand Years in 1970. Her feature film debut was the criminal drama Rape in 1971, which received favorable reviews, and has in recent years been released on DVD as part of the 'Norwegian Classics'-line. Breien's second film followed in 1975, and has since become one of the most commented and analyzed films in Norwegian cinema history: The cheerful and decidedly feminist comedyWives became a box-office success, and made editor of International Film Guide, Peter Cowie, refer to Breien as a dogme-director twenty years ahead of time. The film also spurred to popular sequels; Wives - Ten Years After (1985) and Wives III (1995), examining the lives of the characters of the original film ten and twenty years on. Wives - Ten Years After was also awarded the Norwegian National Film Award Amanda for Best Film of 1985. After the critical acclaim and commercial success of the first Wives-film in 1975, Breien was firmly established as one of the leading directors in Norwegian cinema, a position she further cemented in the following years, directing critically hailed films like Games of Love and Loneliness (1977) and Heritage (1979), the latter of which was nominated for the Palme d'Or at the 1979 Cannes Film Festival. Her 1981 drama Witch Hunt was selected for the Venice Film Festival, and the thriller Paper Bird (1984) further displayed Breien's proficiency across genres. In addition to directing numerous feature films of significance, Breien has also established herself as a director of perhaps equally important short and documentary films, through her entire career. In addition to her early short, more recent films such as Solvorn (1997), To see a Boat in Sails(2000), Untitled - Sans tître (2005), Etching (2009) and Yezidi (2009) have all been screened at international festivals, and received several awards. The documentary short To See a Boat in Sails (2000) was for instance awarded the Prix UIP Berlin at the Berlin International Film Festival in 2001, and also the award for Best Live Action Short Film at the Toronto World Wide Short Film Festival. While first and foremost recognized as a director, it must also be noted that Breien has extensive experience as a writer, and has written most of her own films over the years, be they either original screenplays or adaptations. She has also written screenplays for other directors, notably Ola Solum's Second Sight from 1994.  A subject of academic interest on every level, a pioneer among Norwegian female film professionals, and one of the still active longtime veterans of the Norwegian film industry, Anja Breien is revered and respected as one of the most influential and important directors in Norwegian film history, as well as one of Norway's most internationally recognized directors, with a career spanning five decades.

  • Title: Anja Breien
  • Popularity: 0.1519
  • Known For: Directing
  • Birthday: 1940-07-12
  • Place of Birth: Oslo, Norway
  • Homepage:
  • Also Known As:
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Anja Breien Movies

  • 1961
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    Et øye på hver finger

    Et øye på hver finger

    1 1961 HD

    A surveillance radar is to be placed at the Norwegian coastline. Three soldiers volunteer to guard it, but only so that they can have a party afterwards.

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  • 1960
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    Det store varpet

    Det store varpet

    1 1960 HD

    Brothers Ola and Jon waiting for his father's new boat to go out fishing for herring. The father has invested a lot of money in the boat and is hoping for the big catch, but Ola is heartbroken and goes on a drinking binge.

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  • 2017
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    The Art of the Impossible

    The Art of the Impossible

    1 2017 HD

    Director/actor Eugenio Barba returns to Oslo, where he started Odin Teatret, to Opole, where Jerzy Grotowsky's " theatre of the poor" developed a new physical play style, to avoid communism's censorship. And to Holstebro, where Odin Teatrets presence has greatly influenced the city's development.

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  • 2019
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    Crimes of the future

    Crimes of the future

    1 2019 HD

    Through conversations with an array of Norwegian writers, filmmakers, psychiatrists, artists and more, Izquierdo investigates the impact of both the film and novel Sult by Knut Hamsun on generations of Norwegian culture and artistic practice, while exploring how it could speak about what it means to be an artist today.

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  • 1979
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    Next of Kin

    Next of Kin

    4.375 1979 HD

    Gathered at a funeral for a successful business man, the testament is to be read. They will all inherit, with a big IF; if the family company is to be joint run by all the heirs.

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  • 1979
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    Next of Kin

    Next of Kin

    4.375 1979 HD

    Gathered at a funeral for a successful business man, the testament is to be read. They will all inherit, with a big IF; if the family company is to be joint run by all the heirs.

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  • 1975
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    Wives

    Wives

    5.7 1975 HD

    Following a drunken school reunion, Mie, Kaja and Heidrun, three school friends now in their 30s, realize how they're dominated by their husbands’ needs and demands. Aching for a taste of freedom, the trio go off on a spree.

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  • 1975
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    Wives

    Wives

    5.7 1975 HD

    Following a drunken school reunion, Mie, Kaja and Heidrun, three school friends now in their 30s, realize how they're dominated by their husbands’ needs and demands. Aching for a taste of freedom, the trio go off on a spree.

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  • 1981
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    The Witch Hunt

    The Witch Hunt

    5.556 1981 HD

    Having gone through many personal struggles, Eli returns to her native village and begins to work on the farm of Ingeborg Eriksdotter, eventually tending a plot that once belonged to her family. But Eli has been gone a long time, and the opaque villagers see her as an outsider—she is suspicious from the start. The year is 1625, and stories of witches conjuring up evil are a part of the daily culture. Eli unwittingly makes matters worse for herself when she is able to cure the sick with herbs, and when she begins an affair with Aslak a farmhand—clearly she must have cast a spell on him. This all adds up to a witch hunt with a ready-made "witch." Eli, in the end, is officially accused of witchcraft by a devious bailiff, while Ingeborg makes every attempt to save her, and Aslak himself does not survive the stress—hardly a good omen for the outcome of the trial.

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  • 1971
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    Rape

    Rape

    6.571 1971 HD

    It's winter in a suburb. A housewife is brutally raped. A young woman becomes a victim of attempted rape. The Police tighten noose on Anders, a young road worker who was seen on the site in both cases. The two women think they recognize him in the lineup, and police investigators use all their strength to solve the case. Anders is a common and simple individual. He could be any youth. The meeting with the ongoing investigation and the solid judiciary, forces him out of a seemingly monotonous, habitual life and forces him to react and think.

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  • 2004
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    Untitled

    Untitled

    4.5 2004 HD

    A man covers his head with several headscarfs, one by one... .

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  • 1996
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    Wives III

    Wives III

    4.5 1996 HD

    This mellow comedy is the third entry in filmmaker Anja Breien's "Wives" series and stars the same three actresses who appeared in the first two. This episodic film begins with flashbacks to the 1975 film Wives and scenes from 1985's Wives: Ten Years Later. Now ten more years have passed and they are comfortably ensconced in middle age. They have gathered to hold a surprise birthday for Kaja aboard an Oslo streetcar. The three haven't seen each other in ages and much of the story focuses on their discussions of their disparate lives. Every word, smile and tear they share affirms the depth of their lasting friendship.

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  • 1996
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    Wives III

    Wives III

    4.5 1996 HD

    This mellow comedy is the third entry in filmmaker Anja Breien's "Wives" series and stars the same three actresses who appeared in the first two. This episodic film begins with flashbacks to the 1975 film Wives and scenes from 1985's Wives: Ten Years Later. Now ten more years have passed and they are comfortably ensconced in middle age. They have gathered to hold a surprise birthday for Kaja aboard an Oslo streetcar. The three haven't seen each other in ages and much of the story focuses on their discussions of their disparate lives. Every word, smile and tear they share affirms the depth of their lasting friendship.

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  • 1985
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    Wives - Ten Years After

    Wives - Ten Years After

    4.4 1985 HD

    Ten years have passed since our three heroines' first outing in 1975. Now the women meet at yet another class reunion. Not surprisingly, they are still unwilling to call it a night after the party is over. Husbands and children must celebrate Christmas as best they can, while the women spend quality time drinking and taking stock of their lives.

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  • 1985
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    Wives - Ten Years After

    Wives - Ten Years After

    4.4 1985 HD

    Ten years have passed since our three heroines' first outing in 1975. Now the women meet at yet another class reunion. Not surprisingly, they are still unwilling to call it a night after the party is over. Husbands and children must celebrate Christmas as best they can, while the women spend quality time drinking and taking stock of their lives.

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  • 1971
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    Rape

    Rape

    6.571 1971 HD

    It's winter in a suburb. A housewife is brutally raped. A young woman becomes a victim of attempted rape. The Police tighten noose on Anders, a young road worker who was seen on the site in both cases. The two women think they recognize him in the lineup, and police investigators use all their strength to solve the case. Anders is a common and simple individual. He could be any youth. The meeting with the ongoing investigation and the solid judiciary, forces him out of a seemingly monotonous, habitual life and forces him to react and think.

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  • 1994
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    Second Sight

    Second Sight

    4.25 1994 HD

    Maren, a young girl, is the sole survivor of the Black Death in her Norwegian village. Using instincts, folklore, luck, and the clairvoyant powers granted her by being born with a "Victory Cap," Maren survives on her own, waiting for other people to discover her plight.

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  • 1967
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    Vokse opp

    Vokse opp

    1 1967 HD

    The film is based on a legend that goes back to 1349, when the black plague reached Norway after ravaging in Europe. Legend of a little girl, the sole survivor plague in the isolated mountain village Justedalen. The girl closely linked to nature and becomes like a wild bird, says the legend.

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  • 1969
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    17th of May - A film regarding rituals

    17th of May - A film regarding rituals

    1 1969 HD

    Norway's National Day on 17 May has over the years evolved to be a day marked by rituals and phrases which may no longer have as much content for most people. The film shows us some of these rituals we know so well, so we can chuckle over May 17.

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  • 1997
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    Solvorn

    Solvorn

    2 1997 HD

    Anja Breien came across a box of glass plate negatives that her grandmother had photographed, many of them with remote trigger. Breien made contact copies of them and discovered a poetic talent. This film is an attempt to get a piece of her grandmother's life, of family life? an attempt to grab a forgotten past. Can we remember others' memories?

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  • 2001
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    Å se en båt med seil

    Å se en båt med seil

    4 2001 HD

    A weathered face, an old man skiing in Rondane ... Neapolitan song, music over the snow - memories of childhood summers, a boat ... The landscape is snowy now - a boat here ... In the snow?

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  • 2009
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    Etchings

    Etchings

    1 2009 HD

    A film poem - without words

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  • 2009
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    Etchings

    Etchings

    1 2009 HD

    A film poem - without words

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  • 1977
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    Games of Love and Loneliness

    Games of Love and Loneliness

    3.5 1977 HD

    Arvid falls in love with Lydia but puts the budding romance on hold to pursue a career and material wealth. Lydia is willing to wait for Arvid, until her father dies, leaving her finances in a dire state.

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  • 1990
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    Smykketyven

    Smykketyven

    2 1990 HD

    Jan Strøm has always been popular with women and is used to getting what he wants. But one day he is drawn into dramatic events beyond his control, and suddenly finds himself at a crossroads in his life.

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  • 1990
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    Smykketyven

    Smykketyven

    2 1990 HD

    Jan Strøm has always been popular with women and is used to getting what he wants. But one day he is drawn into dramatic events beyond his control, and suddenly finds himself at a crossroads in his life.

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  • 1984
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    Paper Bird

    Paper Bird

    1 1984 HD

    The young Oslo lawyer Helen sees a man fall from a balcony, and realizes afterwards it's her father. Suicide or murder?

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  • 1984
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    Paper Bird

    Paper Bird

    1 1984 HD

    The young Oslo lawyer Helen sees a man fall from a balcony, and realizes afterwards it's her father. Suicide or murder?

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  • 1970
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    Dager fra 1000 år

    Dager fra 1000 år

    4.5 1970 HD

    An episode film initiated by Erik Borge, the fresh director of Norwegian Film, giving fresh film makers a chance of being seen by a big audience. Anja Breien, Egil Kolstø and Espen Thorstensons got the chance with very diverse films.An episode film initiated by Erik Borge, the fresh director of Norwegian Film, giving fresh film makers a chance of being seen by a big audience. Anja Breien, Egil Kolstø and Espen Thorstensons got the chance with very diverse films.

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  • 1969
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    Oslofilm: Ansikter

    Oslofilm: Ansikter

    1 1969 HD

    A film about faces, about expressions, about situations. The film is based on a poem by the Danish poet Poul Borum. The recordings are made in the Munch Museum in Oslo and based on the faces of Munch's pictures.

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  • 1972
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    Murer rundt fengslet

    Murer rundt fengslet

    1 1972 HD

    A short film about the prison system and the incarcerated, seen from the inside as well as from the outside. Norwegian director Anja Breien's short is a response to the headlines of its time.

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  • 1973
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    Herbergistene

    Herbergistene

    5 1973 HD

    A political short from Norwegian director Anja Breien.

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  • 1973
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    Mine søsken goddag

    Mine søsken goddag

    1 1973 HD

    We get to follow Arne Bendik Sjur into his imaginary world. This artist wants his graphics to touch men's lives, our anxiety, and our foreignness towards each other. Some of the anxieties of expressionist art can be found in his works, together with witchcraft and imagination.

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  • 1989
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    Fjellet

    Fjellet

    1 1989 HD

    A short essay from Anja Breien about her father

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  • 1975
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    Gamle

    Gamle

    4 1975 HD

    A documentary short about elders in Norway.

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  • 1981
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    The Witch Hunt

    The Witch Hunt

    5.556 1981 HD

    Having gone through many personal struggles, Eli returns to her native village and begins to work on the farm of Ingeborg Eriksdotter, eventually tending a plot that once belonged to her family. But Eli has been gone a long time, and the opaque villagers see her as an outsider—she is suspicious from the start. The year is 1625, and stories of witches conjuring up evil are a part of the daily culture. Eli unwittingly makes matters worse for herself when she is able to cure the sick with herbs, and when she begins an affair with Aslak a farmhand—clearly she must have cast a spell on him. This all adds up to a witch hunt with a ready-made "witch." Eli, in the end, is officially accused of witchcraft by a devious bailiff, while Ingeborg makes every attempt to save her, and Aslak himself does not survive the stress—hardly a good omen for the outcome of the trial.

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  • 1977
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    Games of Love and Loneliness

    Games of Love and Loneliness

    3.5 1977 HD

    Arvid falls in love with Lydia but puts the budding romance on hold to pursue a career and material wealth. Lydia is willing to wait for Arvid, until her father dies, leaving her finances in a dire state.

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  • 2005
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    Untitled

    Untitled

    5 2005 HD

    A poetic film about a cruel theme, told in a way that doesn't make the spectators close their eyes.

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  • 2005
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    Untitled

    Untitled

    5 2005 HD

    A poetic film about a cruel theme, told in a way that doesn't make the spectators close their eyes.

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  • 2009
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    Jezidi

    Jezidi

    5 2009 HD

    Gaining unprecedented access to the heart of the Yezidi community, this revealing documentary unveils the ways of a Kurdish religious minority that has traditionally been surrounded by mystery. The elusive portrait of a world that seems to exist and survive outside the boundaries of time, abiding by its own set of eternal rules. A breathtaking journey into the soul at a population remorselessly hunted and persecuted that urges us to take a distance from our established viewpoint.

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  • 2009
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    Jezidi

    Jezidi

    5 2009 HD

    Gaining unprecedented access to the heart of the Yezidi community, this revealing documentary unveils the ways of a Kurdish religious minority that has traditionally been surrounded by mystery. The elusive portrait of a world that seems to exist and survive outside the boundaries of time, abiding by its own set of eternal rules. A breathtaking journey into the soul at a population remorselessly hunted and persecuted that urges us to take a distance from our established viewpoint.

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  • 1969
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    Oslofilm: Ansikter

    Oslofilm: Ansikter

    1 1969 HD

    A film about faces, about expressions, about situations. The film is based on a poem by the Danish poet Poul Borum. The recordings are made in the Munch Museum in Oslo and based on the faces of Munch's pictures.

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  • 1975
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    Midi Première

    Midi Première

    10 1975 HD

    Midi Première is a French variety show presented by Danièle Gilbert, directed by Jacques Pierre and broadcast from January 6, 1975 until January 1, 1982 on TF1. The program was generally broadcast between 12:15 p.m. and 12:55 p.m., then giving way to the 1:00 p.m. TV news. However, the broadcast schedule could change, depending on the guests, and the setting where the recording of the program was shot. Certain performances by artists who have become cult like the one where Ringo jostles with a demonstrator in interpretation (1977), that of Dalida with the title There is always a song with the soundtrack that does not start, twice, at the right speed (1978), Claude François and his Clodettes, who, in the provinces, are unable to join "the set" in order to interpret his song, the latter being taken by the crowd of delirious fans (summer 1977) . The group Supertramp performed there with the title "Dreamer" on March 8, 1975.

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