Director Bo Widerberg discovered Pia Degermark, a teenage sensation, in a newspaper photo featuring her dancing with the future King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden, Carl Gustaf, at a party. Following her lead role in the critically acclaimed film Elvira Madigan (1967),which premiered at Cannes, Degermark's career seemed destined for stardom.
The film's success led to a slew of offers, with critics hailing her as the "new Ingrid Bergman." However, in 1971, she married producer Pier A. Caminnecci, with whom she had a son, Cesare. Unfortunately, the marriage ended two years later.
Degermark then relocated to the United States, but returned to Sweden in 1979, struggling with grave illness and anorexia. Her acting career at an end, she founded the organization "Alfta" to support women suffering from the disease.
Tragedy struck when Degermark was taken to court, accused of making false claims, and the organization ultimately collapsed. During this tumultuous period, she became homeless and developed a drug addiction, which led her to use fraudulent checks in a desperate attempt to obtain money.
Eventually, she was arrested and sentenced to Stockholm's state prison, marking a devastating low point in her life.
