Kurzfilmblock / Swedish Shorts
Only within the three last years Swedish shorts picked up awards in Berlin, Cannes, Venice and Sundance. This programme – including topics like a chinese execution, sex debuts, two isolated neighbours starting to spend time together, the close study of an elderly woman's eye, a detailed depiction of a failed bank robbery, a middle-aged lady (played by a 1.5 year) on a charter trip and the story of an ex-girlfriend hitting back – strives to represent the richness and variety of the Swedish short film scene of today. Enjoy! GRANDMOTHER'S EYE (Mormors öga), by Jonathan Lewald (2010) HD CAM, b/w, silent, 5' A constant motion from distance to up close, all the way into the eye of an elderly lady. 2. NEVER LIKE THE FIRST TIME! (Aldrig som första gången!), Jonas Odell (2006) 35mm, Swedish dialogue with English subtitles, 15' This Golden Bear winning animated documentary is based on four interviews in which each person get to tell the story of their first time. The stories range from comedy to tragedy and are all visualized in different animation styles. 3. KILLING THE CHICKENS TO SCARE THE MONKEYS by Jens Assur (2011) 35 mm, Chinese dialogue with English subtitles, 24' In this exceptional story set in the People’s Republic of China, nine scenes unfold in the indistinct area between black and white, where national politics and strategy have unforeseen consequences on a young teacher’s life. 4. INCIDENT BY A BANK (Händelse vid bank) by Ruben Östlund (2010) Digibeta, Swedish dialogue with English subtitles, 12' A detailed and humorous account of a failed bank robbery: A single take where 96 people perform a meticulous choreography for the camera. This film - that won the Golden Bear in 2010 - recreates an actual event that took place in Stockholm back in June 2006; it’s an observation in real-time and a study of how people act and react to the unexpected. 5. TORD AND TORD (Tord och Tord) by Niki Lindroth von Bahr (2010) Digibeta, Swedish dialogue with English subtitles, 11' One day Tord accidentally walks in to the apartment next to his own. Another person named Tord lives there, he has just moved in. Tord and Tord start to spend time with each other. 6. FUNGUS (Svamp) by Charlotta Miller (2011) HDCAM, Swedish dialogue with English subtitles, 8' Katrin sits apathetically in her dumpy apartment after being left by her boyfriend as an old lady whose husband just died is wreaking havoc outside. Touched by the old lady's strong emotions, Katrin decides to face her old boyfriend. 7. LAS PALMAS by Johannes Nyholm (2011) HDCAM, Swedish dialogue with English subtitles, 13' A middle-aged lady on a holiday in the sun tries to make new friends and have a good time. The role is played by a one year old girl, the rest of the cast are marionette puppets. The trailer to this Cannes-participating and allover successful film had over 15 million views on Youtube.
