Swedish short film to feature in Cannes

Jonas Inde as Niklas in The Parasite (Photo: Niklas Johansson/Migma Film)

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A critically acclaimed short film will be among the Swedish contributions to the Cannes Film Festival, which takes place next month. The Parasite will feature in the International Critics’ Week.

The film, produced by Helen Ahlsson and written and directed by Lisa Munthe, is about a truck driver named Niklas (Jonas Inde) who works at a factory that is being shut down in a little village. The town is short on women, and Niklas longs for love.

Inde received an honourable mention at the Gothenburg Film Festival in January for his performance as Niklas. Other actors in the film are Roland Hedlund, Jeja Sundström and Kåre Mölder. The film is produced by Migma Film with support from Film in Västerbotten, Filmpool Nord and the Storuman municipality.

For several years, the Swedish Film Institute has been promoting the ‘novel’ film - shorter length films by directors on their way to feature film production. Swedish actress Pernilla August recently made her directorial debut with Blindgångare (2004) about a successful man living a stressed life .

The festival will also feature Marie Nyreröd’s three acclaimed documentary films shown on Swedish Television during the last year about Ingmar Bergman. They will be shown in the Cannes Classic section. The Cannes Film Festival will take place between May 11 and 22.

For those who can’t make it to Cannes, The Parasite will be shown in Stockholm on April 28th as part of a ‘novel film’ marathon at “The Dream Factory” at the Swedish Film House. Folkets Bio is presently screening the film in Stockholm and Göteborg.

Moira Sullivan

Moira Sullivan is a freelance journalist and member of the Swedish Film Critics' Association