Totally Stockholm 1
Atlantics REEL LIFE STORIES Over 12 dark days in
November, Stockholm International Film Festival presents the 30th edition of the acclaimed celebration of film. Words: Peter Steen-Christensen Only a minute long, the very first Swedish film production [Konungens af Siam landstigning vid Logårdstrappan of 1897] is footage of the King of Siam [now Thailand] disembarking a vessel by the staircase below the royal castle. Not quite a love scene, but the first human interaction in Swedish film is when Swedish King Oscar II removes his hat, takes a bow and gives the Siamese king a kiss on each cheek. The film is certainly award-worthy as a historical moment, but the art form has evolved a bit since then. If we fast-forward past Greta Garbo’s debut, the addition of sound, Ingmar Bergman’s Seventh Seal, a bit of Swedish sin and Lasse Hallström’s Life as a Dog, it takes us to the autumn of 1990 and the premiere of Stockholm Film Festival. Over the course of four days it brought a broad selection of quality films to the doorstep of Stockholm’s cinophiles. The festival set the stage by having David Lynch’s Wild At Heart as its opening salvo. The aim for Stockholm International Film Festival is to ”broaden the selection of films in Sweden with creative new films of high quality, and to offer the visitor an orientation within modern film to stimulate a continuing debate.” Apart from the obvious film screenings, they offer seminars and opportunities to meet actors and filmmakers during Face to Facesessions. During the tenth edition of the festival, in a premetoo-environment, Roman Polanski was presented with their Stockholm Lifetime Achievement Award 8 while the 20th instalment offered a couple of outdoor screenings on a giant screen made of ice. Now with their 30th edition, they celebrate French cinema, put the spotlight on organised crime and manage to create real gender equality by having 40 percent of the programme made up of work by female directors. The festival is recognised for its promotion of unestablished filmmakers, as a large portion of the 150-strong film programme is made up of directorial debuts, and only directors with three films or fewer are selected for the competition section. This year, Palme d’Or-winning film producer Erik Hemmendorff is chairing the jury, responsible for picking out the best cherry from a tree full of invitingly-appetising fruit. You are taking the position as head of the Stockholm Film Festival jury, responsible for picking the winner of the Bronze Horse. Are you looking forward to the task, the films, and I presume some heated discussions with other jury members? It’s a privilege and a great responsibility and I look forward to meeting the other members of our group and leading the jury in the work. It’s about making sure everything runs smoothly, creating energy within the group plus ensuring that all the various competing films are treated carefully and with the same respect. And yeah, I assume there will be discussion. Erik Hemmendorff, Photo: Carla Orrego Veliz