This is not Sweden

Esto no es Suecia

THIS IS NOT SWEDEN

Serie - 8 x 40’ – Drama

THIS IS NOT SWEDEN shows the contradictions faced by a young couple when it comes to protecting their children from the dangers of life.

 

Mariana and Samuel have moved to an idyllic neighborhood, the perfect place to raise their children in a more natural, healthy and respectful way. They are surrounded by neighbors with the same aspirations, none of them more admirable than Annika, the Swedish single mother who lives across the street.

But when tragedy strikes Annika's family, Mariana and Samuel's certainties begin to waver. How could this happen, here, to people like them? Have they, in their quest for excellence in parenting, missed something essential?

Fear and uncertainty begin to settle in the couple like a dangerous poison, threatening to destroy everything they have built.

 

CHARACTERS:

Mariana. Mariana is a socially committed woman, strongly opinionated about almost everything and permanently dissatisfied. The move to the new neighbourhood is for Mariana the culmination of a path that she embarked on many years ago. When the kids were born, she realised that the time had come to take a firm step forward to find another way of life that would guarantee a safe and pleasant childhood for her kids, very different from the one she had. She finds a lighthouse in Annika, a model woman and mother who confirms her belief that they have come to the right place. However, when Magnus throws himself out a window, the life project in which Mariana had invested so much hope now seems to falter. With her usual determination, Mariana intends to locate and eliminate whatever the causes are of this puzzling event.

Mariana

Samuel. Like Mariana, Samuel always hated the idea of being like his parents. This is why, since his teenage years, Samuel has strived to become affable, empathetic and resolute and, by becoming teetotal, has kept away from the vices of his father, Antonio, a functional alcoholic, and old-fashioned type. Mariana crossed his path when Samuel was making some of the most important decisions of his life, willing to help Samuel become the best version of himself.

Recently, Samuel agreed to ask for a sabbatical, to look after the kids. It is exhausting and sometimes he misses his work, but he also feels fulfilled, admired by the community, he feels like a good father. That is, until Magnus’ suicide turns everything upside down.

Samuel

Annika. She is Swedish and came to live here five years ago with Magnus, his teenage son, and Emma, her five-year-old daughter. The demands of a life as a single mother, and the work she does from home (no one knows exactly what it is), have helped to keep her at a distance from the community. She is a kind, accessible, charming woman, but despite this, nobody knows her very well. What is unquestionable for everyone, however, is that she is the epitome of parenthood. Nobody is as much of an admirer of Annika as her neighbour, the newly arrived Mariana. However, after the incident, unable to deal with her son’s suicide, Annika shuts herself up at home. With no real friendship within the community, Annika eventually accepts the hand Mariana offers her, although it may end up being a poisoned apple.

Annika

Frida. Frida arrives in the neighbourhood to be by her family’s side after the suicide of her grandson. She’s kind, loving, thoughtful, and has a sense of humor. With no other parent in the house, Frida has to quietly take the reigns, support her granddaughter Emma and hide her own pain behind a veil of tender strength.

We see hints of her vulnerability when Annika is not by her side, and Frida will find an unexpected outlet to express her feelings and look for some joy in the peculiar company of Antonio, Samuel’s father. Antonio doesn’t speak any English, and Frida, any Spanish, but somehow, they seem to have found a way to communicate with each other. They bring joy and freshness into each other’s lives, which is not something easy to find.

Frida

 

 CREDITS:

Director: Aina Clotet, Mar Coll, Celia Giraldo, Sara Fantova

Creators: Aina Clotet, Valentina Viso, Dani González

Original idea: Aina Clotet, Sergi Cameron

Cast: Aina Clotet, Marcel Borràs, Violeta Sanvisens, Nora Navas, Liv Mjönes, Tomás del Estal, Eva Llorach, Nausicaa Bonnín, Enric Auquer, Pol López, Ia Langhammer, Mabel Rivera.

Screenplay: Valentina Viso, Dani González

Year: 2023

A RTVE production in collaboration with 3Cat, NDR, YLE, SVT and the support of ICE and Creative Europe MEDIA