One morning just before Christmas, Leena receives a phone call from a hospital in her childhood hometown telling her that her mother is dying. This news takes her on a journey to face her mother for the first time in her adult life. Leena has fought all her life to let go of her grief over her lost and dark childhood. She is now forced to deal with her past to be able to move on.
Acting
Noomi Rapace's face holds entire decades of pain.
Direction
August's debut: Bergman-level restraint with female gaze.
Cinematography
Bleached winter light that feels like emotional hypothermia.
Director
Pernilla August
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Real-life divorced couple Noomi and Ola Rapace play exes here — their raw tension is not entirely acting. Director Pernilla August is also an acclaimed actress (Star Wars prequels, anyone?).
Based on Susanna Alakoski's novel Svinalängorna, which shattered Swedish bestseller lists for its unflinching portrayal of working-class alcoholism — the film softens nothing.
SE
