Swedish Movies, part 2

January 12'th, I posted a list of four Swedish movies we'd seen. Since then, we've seen three more. The first, Ett Öga Rött which means "One Eye Red," was simply excellent, especially in these days where immigration issues are in the headlines. It's about a Moroccan family that immigrants to Sweden and encounters some "issues." It's also about reconciling your past with your future.

The second is called Blåbärskriget which means "The Blueberry Wars." This may be even better than Ett Öga Rött! It's a tale of multi-cultural scamming in a Swedish wilderness town and it all started (and ended) over blueberries.

We also saw Nina Frisk, the story of a beautiful airline assistant and dysfunctional her family. It's a worthy movie but the previous two are my picks as "best."

Note, however, that these movies only got around 5 stars out of 10 on www.imdb.com. Maybe I'm too excited by the Swedish style of movie which is new to me?

Swedish Movies

J and I have watched three excellent (English subtitled) Swedish movies lately. These movies tend to develop characters and represent real life. No expensive special effects, no cars exploding, no chase scenes, etc. Just dialog. At first they seem incredibly slow but enduring them always leaves you rewarded. J and I continue to talk about them long after viewing them.

Here they are:
Farväl Falkenberg - (Farewell Falkenberg) A story of friendship, alienation and depression is a small Swedish town.
En Kärleks Historia (A Swedish Love Story) directed bt Roy Andersson. It's a story of finding love. For me, it feels very Swedish. I'd wonder whether Swedes agree.
Den Nya Människan - (The New Man) This one is about a time in Swedish history (1930-1950-ish) where they practiced eugenics (sterilization of people deemed undesirable). It is a very emotional movie! The US also practiced eugenics, too.

I'm not sure whether these movies are available in the US but it's worth checking Netflix or the foreign film section of your local video rental store.


Another excellent one we viewed before coming to Sweden was: Under Solen - (Under the Sun). This one has some nudity, so put the kids to bed.


Get some popcorn and watch these if you can.