Maria Larsson (Heiskanen) is an average Swedish housewife in the early 1900s. She has too many children, a drunken, abusive husband, and spends the bulk of her time caring for her small home and ever-expanding brood. One day, she wins a camera in a lottery. She doesn't think much of the new item at first, but after striking up an unlikely friendship with a local photographer, she embarks on an unlikely, inspirational career.

Swedish master Jan Troell's Golden Globe-nominated historical epic balances the sweep of a changing era with the intimate moments in the life of one woman. One of the most beautiful films to look at in recent memory, its lush visual style provides a perfect counterpoint to a story that is, at its heart, about the birth of photography. However, with Maria Heiskanen's masterful performance at its core, "Moments" never feels stale or conceptual. How could it, with such a strong, full-blooded, utterly memorable woman at its heart?