Anix

How Anix looks

Anix takes its look from the site whose name it shares, a calm, dark home page with soft pale-blue details. The page is a deep charcoal, the panels are a shade lighter, and the accent colour is a gentle steel blue, used for titles, links and the main buttons. The header is slim and shadowed: the Anix play-mark logo sits at the left, a dark search box with a small Filter label sits beside it, grey menu links run across the middle, and a small switch with EN and SV sits at the right, in the place where the original offered English and Japanese titles.

Below the header, a column of slides presents the favourite films of the catalogue, just as the original slider presented its featured titles. Each slide has a poster at the left and a softly blurred picture behind it, a pale-blue title, a grey line with the rating, the type and the year, a small HD badge and a badge group with the original language and the running time or the number of episodes, a three-line story, a pale-blue Watch now button and a grey Save button.

At the right, a column of boxes follows the original closely. Most Viewed has three tabs, Today, Week and Month, and a numbered list of titles, each with a small poster, a pale-blue title and a badge group. Recently Added lists more titles in the same style, and a Shelves box gathers every collection with its number of titles. Under the slides, the Recent Update grid shows the newest titles as posters with badge groups and centred titles, with tabs at the top for all titles and for each country, in the place of the original tabs for subtitled, dubbed and trending shows.

The footer is the lighter charcoal of the panels, with a thin upper bar of grey links that turn pale blue under the pointer, and the logo and a short line of information below. The typeface is Lexend Deca, the rounded, friendly font the original site used, and every colour comes from the archived style sheet: the charcoal page and panels, the grey tabs and badges, the pale-blue accent with its lighter and deeper shades, and the soft green of the second badge.

Using the site

Anix is simple to use on a phone, a tablet or a computer. The search box finds any title by its English or original name, so typing Pippi, Emil, Tjorven or Ricky Rapper brings the right page straight up. The header links lead to the whole catalogue, to the Astrid Lindgren, Christmas and Detectives shelves, to the series and to the A to Z list, and on a small screen the menu button opens the same links together with My List and the help pages.

Every title page shows the poster, the story in English, the year, the running time or the full episode list, the main cast, the director and the studio, together with the original title in Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, Finnish or Icelandic. A Watch now button sits near the top of the page. Choose your country once and Anix remembers it, so the button always opens JustWatch for the right place.

My List is where you gather the films you want to share next. A single press on a title page adds a film or series, and the list waits quietly in your browser until you return. You can save it to a small file and load it on a second device, which is handy for choosing the weekend films on a phone and opening them later on the big screen in the living room.

Astrid Lindgren

Astrid Lindgren is one of the most beloved writers for children who ever lived, and the films made from her books in Sweden are among the finest family films in the world. Many of them were directed by Olle Hellbom, who worked closely with Lindgren for more than twenty years, and they share a sunny, unhurried rhythm, a deep love of the Swedish countryside and a complete trust in the intelligence and imagination of children. The Astrid Lindgren shelf on Anix holds 24 titles.

Pippi Goes on Board and Pippi on the Run star Inger Nilsson as Pippi Longstocking, the strongest girl in the world, who lives alone in Villa Villekulla with her horse and her monkey, Mr. Nilsson, and a suitcase full of gold coins. Her friends Tommy and Annika share her adventures, and in Pippi on the Run the three of them set off on a summer journey across the Swedish countryside. Inger Nilsson's red pigtails and fearless grin made her a star across Europe, and the films are still adored today.

Emil of Lonneberga follows the most famous mischief-maker in Swedish literature, a little boy on the farm of Katthult in Småland who means well and somehow always ends up in trouble. Every time, his father sends him to the woodshed, where Emil carves another little wooden figure, until he has a whole shelf of them. The television series Emil of Lönneberga tells his story in episodes, perfect for younger viewers.

The Children of Noisy Village and More About the Children of Noisy Village, directed by Lasse Hallström in the eighties, follow six children in three farmhouses in a tiny village, through a whole year of games, birthdays, haymaking, swimming and Christmas. These are some of the gentlest and most beautiful films in the catalogue, ideal for the youngest viewers.

You're Out of Your Mind, Madicken and Madicken of June Hill follow a bold and imaginative girl and her little sister Lisabet in a small Swedish town in the years around the First World War, and Lotta on Rascal Street and Lotta Leaves Home follow a determined five-year-old girl and her beloved toy pig. Karlsson on the Roof follows a lonely boy in Stockholm and the cheerful little man with a propeller on his back who lives on the roof of his apartment building.

Lindgren also wrote adventure stories. The Brothers Lionheart is one of her greatest books, the story of two brothers, Jonathan and Karl, who meet again in the land of Nangijala, a world of cherry valleys and campfire tales, where they must stand up to the tyrant Tengil and his dragon. It is a story about courage and love between brothers, and it is best suited to older children, who often count it among their favourite films of all.

Rasmus and the Vagabond follows an orphan boy who runs away to find a family and travels the summer roads with a kind-hearted wanderer. The Kalle Blomkvist films, Master Detective Blomkvist, The Master Detective and Rasmus, Kalle Blomkvist Lives Dangerously and Kalle Blomkvist and Rasmus, follow a boy who dreams of being a great detective, and his friends Anders and Eva-Lotta, who spend their summers fighting the War of the Roses with a rival gang and solving real mysteries along the way. Nils Karlsson Pyssling follows a lonely boy who befriends a tiny boy living under his floor, and Peter and Petra is a sweet short tale from a Lindgren story.

Seacrow Island

Seacrow Island began as a television series written by Lindgren for Swedish television in 1964, and its films have become summer classics in Sweden. The Melkerson family, a writer and his four children, rent an old house on a little island in the Stockholm archipelago, and the island's children, above all the round-faced and fearless Tjorven and her enormous dog Batsman, become their friends for life.

Tjorven, Batsman, and Moses follows Tjorven as she adopts a young seal found in a fishing net, Tjorven and Skrallan and Tjorven and Mysak continue the summers on the island, and Skrallan, Ruskprick and Gurnard follows the youngest children on a ferry trip. Life on Seacrow Island gathers the story of the family and the island. The films are full of sunshine, boats, jetties and long light evenings, and they capture the Swedish summer as few films ever have.

Sweden beyond Lindgren

Sweden's family cinema reaches far beyond Astrid Lindgren, and the Sweden shelf holds 106 titles. Wonderful Adventures of Nils, from 1962, adapts Selma Lagerlöf's classic novel about a boy who is shrunk to the size of a thumb and flies across the whole of Sweden on the back of a goose. The Glass-Blower's Children, based on a novel by Maria Gripe, is a haunting and beautiful fairy tale about two children taken from their family to a mysterious city, and the long winter journey to bring them home.

Tsatsiki, from 1999, is one of the warmest Swedish family films of recent decades. Tsatsiki is a boy who lives with his lively mother in Sweden and dreams of meeting his father, a fisherman in Greece. Tsatsiki: Friends Forever and Tsatsiki, Dad and the Olive War continue his story with summers by the Greek sea. Kan du vissla Johanna?, based on a story by Ulf Stark, follows a boy who decides to find a grandfather of his own, and the friendship that grows between him and an old man at a care home.

The writers Anders Jacobsson and Sören Olsson created two of Sweden's most popular families. Sune Andersson is a cheerful boy with big ideas and a chaotic family. Sune's Summer, Sune vs Sune, Sune - Best Man and Sune - Mission: Midsummer follow his school days and holidays, and The Anderssons in Greece: All Inclusive, The Anderssons Hit the Road and The Anderssons Rock the Mountains send the whole family on holiday. The same writers created Bert, whose diary has made generations of Swedish teenagers laugh: the series Bert and the film Bert's Diary follow his worries about school and friendship, and the Håkan Bråkan films, Håkan Bråkan, Håkan Bråkan 2 and Håkan Bråkan 003, follow Sune's mischievous little brother.

The detective films are a great Swedish tradition. JerryMaya's Detective Agency, based on the books by Martin Widmark, follows Lasse and Maja, two friends who solve mysteries in the little town of Valleby, where something always seems to go missing. JerryMaja's Detective Agency - The First Mystery, JerryMaya's Detective Agency – The Secret of the Train Robber, JerryMaya's Detective Agency – The Riddle of the Scorpion and JerryMaya's Detective Agency: The Mascot That Disappeared are four of the many films. Widmark also created Nelly Rapp, a girl who trains as a monster agent with her dog London: Nelly Rapp – Monster Agent and Nelly Rapp - The Dark Forest are spooky fun for children who love a gentle fright.

The Young Jönsson Gang are the childhood versions of the famous criminal masterminds of Swedish comedy, three boys and their friend Doris who come up with brilliant plans. Young Jönsson Gang: The Cornflakes Robbery, Young Jönsson Gang Showing Off, Young Jönsson Gang at Summer Camp and Young Jönsson Gang Reach for the Stars are bright and funny.

The Swedish shelf also holds The Adventures of Halvdan Viking, about a Viking boy who longs to prove himself, Mini-Zlatan and Uncle Darling, about a girl and her favourite uncle, Monky, about a boy who finds a monkey in the garden, Alone in Space, a warm science-fiction adventure about a brother and sister on a spaceship, The Boy with the Golden Pants, about a boy who finds a pair of trousers with an endless supply of money in the pockets, and The Wizard's Daughter, a magical adventure for older children.

Denmark

Denmark has the largest country shelf on Anix, with 123 titles, and its family cinema is famous for its humour, its warmth and its long-running series. The most beloved of them all is Father of Four, which began in 1953 with Ib Schønberg as the kind, slightly overwhelmed father of four children, Søs, Mie, Ole and little Per, with Uncle Anders always ready to help. Father of Four, Father of Four: In the Snow, Father of Four: In the Countryside, Father of Four: In the City, Father of Four: And Uncle Sofus, Father of Four and the Wolf Cubs and Father of Four: On Bornholm belong to the classic series of the fifties, full of gentle comedy and Danish summers.

The family returned in a new series of films from 2005, with fresh faces and the same good humour. Father of Four: Living Large, Father of Four: Home Field Advantage, Father of Four: In Japanese Mode, Father of Four: Back to Nature, Father of Four: Onkel Sofus Returns, Father of Four: Wild Holiday, Father of Four: At the Top, Father of Four - On the Sunny Side! and Father of Four and the Vikings send the family to Bornholm, the mountains, the forests of Sweden and a hotel competition, and each film is a cheerful family evening.

My Sister's Kids is the other great Danish family series. A child psychologist named Uncle Erik, who knows all about children in theory, is left in charge of his sister's five lively children, and quickly discovers that theory and practice are very different things. The story began with Six Kids and Their Uncle in 1966 and Six Kids and the Honeymooners in 1967, and returned in My Sister's Kids, My Sister's Kids in the Snow, My Sister's Kids In Egypt, My Sister's Kids Home Alone, My Sister's Kids in Africa and My Sisters Kids & the Gold Diggers.

Ole Lund Kirkegaard and Bjarne Reuter

Two Danish writers have shaped generations of Danish childhoods. Ole Lund Kirkegaard wrote funny, tender stories about children who are a little different, and his books have become much-loved films. Rubber Tarzan follows a lonely boy who finds a friend in a crane driver, Otto Is a Rhino follows a boy who draws a rhinoceros with a magic pencil and wakes to find it in his living room, Little Virgil and Freddy Frogface follows a small boy and his best friend, a one-legged rooster, Hodja from Pjort is a magical tale with a flying carpet, and Frode and All the Other Rascals and Fakiren fra Bilbao are lively adventures in his spirit.

Bjarne Reuter wrote with wit and heart about boys growing up in Copenhagen. Buster's World, directed by Bille August in 1984, follows a boy who dreams of becoming a great magician, and Buster's World, from 2021, tells his story for a new generation. Kidnapning, Three Angels and Five Lions and Bertram & Co follow Bertram and his family, The Snooks and The Snooks in the Limelight follow a funny family in money trouble, and Someone Like Hodder follows a nine-year-old boy who is asked by a fairy to save the world.

Superheroes, witches and treasure hunters

Modern Danish family cinema is full of adventure. Antboy follows twelve-year-old Pelle, who is bitten by an ant and gains superpowers, and becomes the masked hero of his small town. Antboy: Revenge of the Red Fury and Antboy 3 bring new villains and new friends. Wildwitch, based on Lene Kaaberbøl's books, follows Clara, a girl who is scratched by a mysterious black cat and discovers that she is a wild witch with a bond to the creatures of the forest.

The Lost Treasure of the Knights Templar, The Lost Treasure of the Knights Templar II and The Lost Treasure of the Knights Templar III: The Mystery of the Snake Crown follow a group of friends who discover a medieval secret on the island of Bornholm. Olsen Gang Junior follows the young Egon Olsen in 1958, long before he became the most famous criminal mastermind in Danish comedy, and Timetrip: The Curse of the Viking Witch sends a brother and sister back to the Viking age.

The Crumbs films, based on the books by Thøger Birkeland, follow Krumme and the Krumborg family through the ups and downs of everyday life: The Crumbs, Crumb at a Gallop, The Crumbs 3: Dad's Bright Idea and The Crumbs: Now It's Christmas Again are full of warmth. Iqbal & the Secret Recipe and Iqbal & the Superchip follow a lively boy in Copenhagen's Nørrebro district, and Bølle Bob and Bølle Bob og smukke Sally follow a small-town troublemaker with a good heart.

The Danish shelf also holds My Robot Brother, Gooseboy, Captain Bimse, Superbror, Karla & Katrine, The Children of Silver Street and The Children of Silver Street: Take a Stand, a lovely series of films about four siblings who hire a nanny named Miss Nelly, as well as classics such as Those Damned Kids and Palle Alone in the World, a short and charming film from 1949 about a boy who wakes up to find the whole city to himself.

Norway

Norway's family films are full of mountains, fjords, snow and a very particular sense of humour, and the Norway shelf holds 75 titles. For the youngest viewers, Casper and Emma are the perfect start. Based on the books by Tor Åge Bringsværd, they follow two best friends from their first day at kindergarten. Casper and Emma: Best Friends, Casper and Emma's Winter Vacation, Casper and Emma's Wonderful Christmas, Casper and Emma on Safari, Casper and Emma Go Hiking, Casper and Emma at the Theatre and Casper and Emma Go Treasure Hunting are short, gentle and full of everyday adventure.

Twigson is another Norwegian favourite. Based on the stories by Anne-Cath. Vestly, the films follow Lillebror, a little boy who has just moved house and finds a talking stick in the woods, who becomes his closest friend. Twigson, Twigson Ties the Knot, Twigson in Trouble and Twigson the Explorer are sweet, funny films for small children.

Doctor Proctor's Fart Powder, based on the book by Jo Nesbø, follows Nilly and Lisa, two children who help an eccentric inventor whose latest creation is a powder that makes people fly, with very noisy results. Doctor Proctor: Bubble in the Bathtub sends them travelling through time. Captain Sabertooth, the pirate created by Terje Formoe, has been a Norwegian icon for decades: The Dream of Captain Sabertooth's Kingdom and Captain Sabertooth and the Treasure of Lama Rama follow the captain, his crew and a brave orphan boy named Pinky.

The Junior Olsen Gang films follow the childhood of three friends who will one day become famous for their clever plans. The Junior Olsen Gang Goes Submarine, The Junior Olsen Gang Rocks It, The Junior Olsen Gang at the Circus, The Junior Olsen Gang and the Silver Mine Mystery and The Junior Olsen Gang and the Master Thief are bright, nostalgic adventures set in the Norway of the fifties and sixties.

Kamilla and the Thief and Kamilla and the Thief 2 follow an orphan girl who comes to live with her rich uncle in Kristiansand and befriends a charming thief, and the Stompa films, Stompa & Co, Stompa, selvfølgelig! and Stompa forelsker seg, follow a cheerful boy at a boarding school, based on the Jennings books by Anthony Buckeridge. Sophie's World, based on Jostein Gaarder's famous novel, follows a fourteen-year-old girl who receives mysterious letters that lead her through the whole history of philosophy.

The Norway shelf also holds Trigger, about a girl and a wild horse, Svein and the Rat and Svein and the Rat and the UFO-Mystery, about a boy and his pet rat, The Ten Lives of Titanic the Cat, Houdini's Hound, Operation Mummy, TRIO - The Hunt for the Holy Shrine, The Liverpool Goalie, about a boy who collects football cards, Lars Is LOL, a warm film about friendship and a classmate with Down syndrome, and Sisters: The Summer We Found Our Superpowers.

Finland and Iceland

Finland's family films have a playful, slightly surreal humour all their own, and the Finland and Iceland shelf holds 51 titles. Ricky Rapper, created by the sisters Sinikka and Tiina Nopola, is a boy who lives with his aunt Serena, plays the drums at every chance and has a best friend called Nelly Noodlehead. Ricky Rapper, Ricky Rapper and the Bicycle Thief, Ricky Rapper and Cool Wendy, Ricky Rapper and the Miser from Seville, Ricky Rapper and the Nighthawk, Ricky Rapper and the Strongman, Ricky Rapper and the Fake Vincent, Ricky Rapper and the Wild Machine and Ricky Rapper and the Double are colourful, musical and very funny.

The Nopola sisters also created Hayflower and Quiltshoe, two sisters with lively imaginations: Hayflower and Quiltshoe, Hayflower, Quiltshoe and the Rubens Brothers and Hayflower, Quiltshoe and the Chicken follow their adventures. Jill and Joy, Jill and Joy's Winter and Jill, Joy and the Sleeping Clock adapt Marjatta Kurenniemi's classic story of two girls who live in a house of their own, and Ella and Friends, based on Timo Parvela's books, follows a girl and her classmates who try to save their little school.

Christmas Story tells how an orphan boy named Nikolas, raised by the people of a Lapland village, grew up to become Santa Claus, and The Elf follows a girl who searches for her sister in the land of the elves. The Snow Queen, from 1986, is a beautiful Finnish adaptation of Andersen's fairy tale, and Prinsessa Ruusunen, from 1949, tells the tale of Sleeping Beauty. Pelicanman follows a pelican who becomes a man to learn about people, Mystery of the Wolf follows a girl in Lapland who rescues wolf cubs, and Unna and Nuuk follows a girl who travels back to the Stone Age with a magic drum.

Rollo and the Spirit of the Woods and Rölli – hirmuisia kertomuksia follow the hairy, rowdy trolls of Finnish children's television, Heavysaurs: The Movie follows a band of heavy-metal dinosaurs, Super Furball and Super Furball Saves the Future follow a girl who can turn into a superhero guinea pig, and Kiljusen herrasväki and The Hullabaloos! follow the loud and lovable Kiljunen family on their trips to Helsinki.

Iceland adds six titles. The Falcons follows a young football team at the great youth tournament on the Westman Islands, The Big Rescue follows the cheerful Sveppi on a mission to rescue his best friend, Regína is a musical about a girl with a magical gift, and The Sky Palace, Ikingut and Count Me Out complete a small but lovely collection.

Christmas films and calendars

Christmas is a very special season in the North, where the days are short, the snow is deep and families gather around candles and long tables. The Christmas shelf on Anix holds 42 titles, and it includes one of the most charming traditions of Nordic television: the Christmas calendar. For decades, Swedish, Danish and Norwegian television have told a story in twenty-four parts, one for each day from the first of December to Christmas Eve, and whole countries follow along together.

The Julekalender is a cult classic, a funny and gentle story of the little Christmas elves and their adventures, told in a playful mix of languages and dialects. Jul i Skomakergata, from 1979, is set in a little street of craftsmen and has delighted Norwegian children for decades, and Christmas on Cobbler Street returns to the same street for a new generation. Nissene over skog og hei follows the Christmas gnomes of a Norwegian farm.

In Sweden, Trolltider, from 1979, follows a little troll who lives under the stairs of a house in the forest, and Trolltider – legenden om Bergatrollet returns to the same world in 2023. Tusen år till julafton travels back through a thousand years of Swedish history, Sunes jul follows Sune and his family through a hectic December, and Panik i tomteverkstan takes place in Santa's busy workshop. In Denmark, Jul i Valhal takes children to the halls of the Norse gods, Krummernes jul follows the Crumbs family, and Christmas Wishes follows a girl for whom Christmas means everything.

The Christmas films are just as rich. Journey to the Christmas Star, from 1976, and Journey to the Christmas Star, from 2012, follow a brave girl who sets out into the winter forest to find the Christmas star. Three Wishes for Cinderella, from 2021, is a Norwegian retelling of the famous Czech fairy tale, with a resourceful Cinderella who rides through the snowy forests on horseback. Santa Swap: Merry Christmas Mr. Andersen and Forgotten Christmas follow a carpenter and Santa Claus, who swap places on Christmas Eve, and The Snow Sister and Brightly Shining are moving new Norwegian Christmas stories.

In Denmark, The Christmas Family and The Christmas Family 2 follow young Hugo and the elf Pixy, and Familien Jul og nissehotellet sends them to a hotel for elves. All I Want for Christmas follows twelve-year-old Lucia, daughter of Santa Claus, who dreams of being the first girl at Santa School, All I Want for Christmas 2 takes her family to Greenland, and All I Want for Christmas: The Magic Time Machine sends them through time. Emma og Julemanden - Jagten på Elverdronningens hjerte and The Fir Tree, Andersen's story of a Christmas tree, complete the Danish collection.

Series to watch together

The Series shelf holds 30 series, and beyond the Christmas calendars it includes some of the best-loved children's television of the North. Emil of Lönneberga tells Emil's story in short episodes, Bert follows the diary of a Swedish teenager, and Håkan Bråkan follows a mischievous little boy and his busy family. Pojken med guldbyxorna is the 1975 series about the boy with the magic trousers, and Selmas saga follows an eight-year-old girl and her family as they try to keep their home.

The mystery series are perfect for young detectives. Ture Sventon, privatdetektiv follows the famous Swedish private eye, Laura Trenter Presents adapts three of Laura Trenter's children's crime stories, and The Scarab Flies at Dusk follows three teenagers who investigate an ancient curse in a small Swedish town. The Time Thief follows a boy searching for his father, and Station "Knock on Wood": The Gufol Mystery is a Danish comedy set in a Copenhagen police station.

The Danish series BaseBoys follows a band of boys in a music contest, Theo and the magic talisman and The Timekeeper: Legacy of Drago are magical adventures, and When Lotte Became Invisible and Clandestine Summer are classic Danish children's series. A Road to Gyllenbla!, Dr. Mugg and Vilse i pannkakan are wonderfully odd Swedish fantasies, and Brødrene Dal og professor Drøvels hemmelighet follows Norway's most famous comic trio on a hunt for a missing professor.

Picks by age

For the youngest viewers, choose the gentle stories. The Children of Noisy Village, Casper and Emma: Best Friends, Twigson, Lotta on Rascal Street, Bo Bear's Vacation and Captain Bimse are made for small children, and the Christmas calendars, with one short episode a day, are perfect for the youngest members of the family.

From about six, children enjoy humour and adventure. Pippi Goes on Board, Emil of Lonneberga, Ricky Rapper, Hayflower and Quiltshoe, Jill and Joy, Father of Four: At the Top and My Sister's Kids are full of laughter, and Karlsson on the Roof is a favourite with children who dream of a secret friend.

From about eight, the detective and superhero films are ideal. JerryMaja's Detective Agency - The First Mystery, Young Jönsson Gang: The Cornflakes Robbery, Antboy, The Lost Treasure of the Knights Templar, Doctor Proctor's Fart Powder, Wildwitch and Kalle Blomkvist Lives Dangerously offer real excitement with happy endings.

Older children and teenagers will enjoy The Brothers Lionheart, Sophie's World, The Glass-Blower's Children, Alone in Space, Buster's World and the series The Scarab Flies at Dusk. For grown-ups watching with the family, Tsatsiki, Kan du vissla Johanna?, Three Wishes for Cinderella and the classic Father of Four are rich and rewarding.

Through the year

Nordic family films follow the seasons closely, and they suit every time of year. In spring, try Emil of Lonneberga and the Noisy Village films, with their lambs, haymaking and blossoming meadows. In summer, the island films come into their own: Tjorven, Batsman, and Moses, Tjorven and Skrallan, Casper and Emma Go Treasure Hunting and Father of Four: Wild Holiday are full of long light evenings, boats and swimming.

In autumn, try Nelly Rapp – Monster Agent, Casper and Emma Go Hiking or Mystery of the Wolf. In winter, the snowy films are perfect: Casper and Emma's Winter Vacation, My Sister's Kids in the Snow, Father of Four: In the Snow, The Snow Queen and the Christmas shelf will carry a family through the darkest weeks of the year.

Planning a Nordic film night

A Nordic film night is easy to plan and lovely for the whole family. Begin by choosing a country or a shelf: Astrid Lindgren for a gentle evening, the detective films for a night of mystery, or the Christmas shelf for December. Add the chosen title to My List, check the running time on its page, and press Watch now to see where it is available in your country.

A few small touches make the evening special. Light a few candles in the Nordic way, bake cinnamon buns, serve a plate of gingerbread biscuits at Christmas or a bowl of strawberries in summer. For a Lindgren night, read a chapter of the book aloud before the film. For a detective film, give each child a notebook for the clues, and for a Christmas calendar, watch one episode each evening and open a little paper door on a homemade calendar.

After the film, talk about what everyone enjoyed. Which character would you most like as a friend: Pippi, Emil, Tjorven, Ricky Rapper or Antboy? Which country would you most like to visit? Would you rather spend a summer on Seacrow Island or a winter in Lapland? These conversations are often the best part of the evening.

How Watch now works

Anix is a guide, and every title page leads to the official services that carry the film or series. The Watch now button opens JustWatch for the country you choose, with the streaming subscriptions, rentals, purchases and free services that carry the title there.

Availability varies between countries. Nordic family films are easiest to find in their home countries, where the public broadcasters often keep children's films and Christmas calendars in their online libraries, and many of the newer films are carried by the big streaming services across Europe and beyond. Choosing your country in Anix makes sure the button always opens the right list. Fifteen countries are available, from Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland and Iceland to the United States, Britain, Canada, Australia, Ireland, Germany, the Netherlands, France, Poland and Estonia.

The help pages

Anix has fifteen help pages, each a short guide to one corner of the catalogue. How to watch with Anix explains the search box, the title pages and the Watch now button, Finding a title shares search tips, and My List explains how to save and share your plans.

Astrid Lindgren on screen introduces Pippi, Emil, Madicken and their friends, and Seacrow Island spends a summer in the Stockholm archipelago. Christmas films and calendars explains the Nordic Christmas calendar, Detectives and gangs follows the young sleuths and masterminds, and Film families gathers the families who return film after film.

The country guides, Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Finland and Iceland, suggest the best films from each country. Series to watch together lists the best children's series, Nordic classics visits the oldest films of the catalogue, and A Nordic film night suggests titles by age.

A short history of Nordic family film

Nordic cinema has made films for children since the earliest days of the movies, but the great age of Nordic family film began after the Second World War. In Denmark, the director couple Bjarne and Astrid Henning-Jensen made Those Damned Kids in 1947 and Palle Alone in the World in 1949, and the Father of Four films of the fifties made the Danish family comedy a national institution. In Sweden, the Kalle Blomkvist films of 1947 and 1953 brought Astrid Lindgren to the screen for the first time.

The sixties and seventies were the golden age of the Lindgren films, when Olle Hellbom directed Seacrow Island, Pippi, Emil, Karlsson on the Roof and The Brothers Lionheart, and the Christmas calendars became a fixture of December in every Nordic home. In the eighties, Danish directors such as Søren Kragh-Jacobsen and Bille August made Rubber Tarzan and Buster's World, and Lasse Hallström returned to Lindgren with the Noisy Village films.

From the nineties onwards, Nordic family film grew bolder and more varied. Sweden gave the world Tsatsiki and the JerryMaya films, Denmark gave it Antboy and the new Father of Four series, Norway gave it Casper and Emma, Twigson and Doctor Proctor, and Finland gave it Ricky Rapper and a wave of colourful family films. Today, the Nordic countries make some of the most imaginative children's films in Europe, and their Christmas films are watched far beyond their borders.

Hidden gems

Beyond the famous titles, Anix holds many smaller films that deserve a wider audience. The Children, from 1945, is the oldest film in the catalogue, the story of seven orphaned siblings and their goat. The Bus, from 1961, follows a cheerful driver and his old country bus in the Norwegian countryside, and Owls in the Marsh follows an Oslo family who inherit a house on the south coast.

Hugo and Josephine, from 1967, is a poetic Swedish film about a lonely little girl and a free-spirited boy, and The Boy and the Kite follows a boy on his birthday in Stockholm. The Great Day on the Beach, Watch Me Fly and Southern Comfort are tender Danish films about growing up, and Pikku Pietarin piha and Mother Wanted are charming Finnish classics. Valo follows clever village children who start a school of their own, and Herman the Circus Clown follows a clown on a journey to find his father.

A perfect first night

If you are new to Anix, start with a film that everyone in the family can enjoy together. The Children of Noisy Village is gentle and beautiful, Pippi Goes on Board is pure fun, Doctor Proctor's Fart Powder is perfect for a lively evening, and Three Wishes for Cinderella is a lovely winter fairy tale. For a series, a Christmas calendar such as Jul i Skomakergata or Trolltider is the perfect way to share a little story every evening.

After the first film, let each member of the family choose the next one from their favourite country. Soon everyone will have a favourite hero, whether it is a red-haired girl with a horse on her porch, a boy who carves wooden figures in a woodshed, a drummer who lives with his aunt or a superhero bitten by an ant, and the family will have a shared list of stories to return to again and again.

Why Nordic family films matter

Nordic family films have a rare quality: they speak to children honestly and kindly. They show children as clever, brave and full of imagination, they let them make mistakes and learn from them, and they celebrate friendship, fairness and the joy of being outdoors. They are often funny, sometimes moving, and always made with real care.

They also open a window onto a part of the world many children will love to discover, with its archipelagos and fjords, its long summer evenings and snowy winters, its candlelit Christmases and its love of nature. A Nordic film night can be the start of a lifelong curiosity about the North.

Happy viewing

Anix is made for families who love good stories and want to discover the treasures of Nordic family cinema. Search for a favourite title, choose a country, browse the shelves, add a few films to My List and press Watch now when the evening comes. Every page is ready with its story, its cast and its episodes, and the help pages are ready with a fresh idea for every evening. Ha det så bra, as they say in Norway, and happy viewing from everyone at Anix.

Questions