Bröderna Lejonhjärta (The Brothers Lionheart)

Air is a direct literary reinterpretation of The Brothers Lionheart, borrowing its dual-world structure, themes of death and transcendence, and fairy-tale fantasy framework, but transforming them into an adult, ironic work.

Book to film adaptation : Lindgren wrote the screenplay herself, which is a huge advantage. The film stays remarkably close to the novel's central story, characters, and themes.

Astrid Lindgren’s The Brothers Lionheart (Bröderna Lejonhjärta), the writer, was inspired by Norse Mythology and Scandinavian folklore ; especially the idea of another realm reached after death, and the heroic struggle between good and evil.

Lindgren (the writer) saw the grave of two young brothers, the Fahlén brothers, in Vimmerby cemetery. She said this was when she knew she would write a story about death and two brothers.

The brothers’ journey, courage, sacrifice, and the battle against the tyrant Tengil have the structure of a traditional heroic legend.