Netherlands Production Platform dossier 2011 - Nederlands Film ...

Young Boys
StellaNova Film, Sweden
Hugo Lilja
Pella Kågerman
Set in the Swedish hooligan
culture, a dramatic story
that focuses on the search
for identity in a world of
companionship, excitement
and violence.
Synopsis
Axel has just graduated. He is getting his driver’s licence and
when summer is over he has life-changing choices to make.
Everything suddenly seems a bit frightening. He doesn’t feel
comfortable in his old circle of friends or with the role he
plays in the family.
At a floorball game he meets Viktor who introduces him to
an exciting new world with Young Boys, a Stockholm-based
hooligan firm. This opens a door into a new life with a strong
community, excitement and Stone Island jackets.
During the summer the friendship between Axel and Viktor
grows stronger and Axel discovers completely new sides
to himself. He lets go of his old inhibited self and affirms
his hard side during adrenaline-fueled fights against other
hooligan firms. What keeps him going is the need to belong
and the rules are simple - honour and loyalty. All of a sudden
Axel has got a life.
He falls in love with Sofia with whom he starts a relationship.
However, Viktor already has strong feelings for her. Their
friendship is further tested when Axel at last attains the role
of Topboy, the leader of Young Boys. Viktor is crushed and
the friendship between the two changes into rivalry.
Viktor slips into a dark place and he confronts Axel during
one of the Young Boys fights. High on steroids he attacks
Axel and the consequences are devastating - Viktor ends up
in a coma. In all of the commotion nobody notices that Axel
is the guilty party and the blame is put on the other firm.
While the Young Boys plan how to take revenge on the firm
that hurt Viktor, Axel’s guilt is killing him. He has to choose
between taking the consequences of his crime or to continue
lying to himself and those around him.
Director’s statement
Young Boys is a classical narrative based on authenticity and
realism. In a life marked by chaos and violence, Axel struggles
with the realization of his own guilt and the burden of choice.
Our goal is to turn the viewers’ prejudice back on themselves
without moralising or resorting to easy answers. We believe
that human beings are contradictory by nature, and therefore
no simple explanations can be given. How can you live up to the
warped sense of masculinity of the supporter culture What
happens when you enter a world where violence is the norm
Inspired by the American cinema of the 1970s we want to give
a precise picture of a profound conflict played out among complex
characters. This is a violent film, even though actual violence
is never foregrounded. Through its naturalistic depiction,
Young Boys makes the case that tenderness and cruelty coexist
in every human being.
Directors
Pella Kågerman has directed a number of short films, documentaries,
music videos and commercials. Her much appreciated
contribution to Mia Engberg’s collection Dirty Diaries
has travelled the globe and visited the big screen in France.
She has been awarded the Anders Sandrews Foundation
scholarship and the Swedish Film Institute scholarship for
female filmmakers. In 2006 she was appointed Stockholm
City’s Cultural Scholar. She has also represented Stockholm
in the co-operative project Spektra, initiated by Filmregion
Stockholm-Mälardalen.
Hugo Lilja has studied Cognitive Science at Umeå University
and film directing at The National College of Film & Television.
Besides several award-winning short films that have been
shown all over the world, he has directed commercials and
an interactive web series for FOX. He has been nominated
for the Porsche Awards and Startsladden at The Gothenburg
International Film Festival. His examination film Återfödelsen/
The Unliving won ‘1 km Film’ at the Stockholm International
Film Festival 2010, and competed in Berlinale Shorts 2011,
earning a nomination for The European Film Awards.
Production company
StellaNova Film is a Stockholm-based film and television
production company operating in the Nordic countries and internationally.
A number of films and TV projects are currently
in development. The company was founded in 2008 by producer
Lena Rehnberg, former head of production at Sandrew
Metronome where she produced the feature films Sunstorm,
God Save The King, All About My Bush and Miss Sweden. Lena
Rehnberg has also co-produced Let the Right One In, Morgan
Pålsson -World Reporter, Offside, The Frontline, Storm, Sandor
slash Ida and Ciao Bella among others.
Current status
We are currently developing the script with development
support from the Swedish Film Institute and the distributor
Nordisk Film. They are both on board as partners.
Aims at the NPP
To find a co-producer(s) and financing from other European
countries.
Cecilia Forsberg Becker
Directors
Hugo Lilja
Pella Kågerman
Producers
Cecilia Forsberg Becker
Georgie Mathew
Writer
Jens Jonsson
Based on
an original story
Languages
Swedish
Genre
Drama
Running time
85-130 mins
Target audience
Both youth and adult
Budget
€1,800,000
Jens Jonsson
Contact
Cecilia Forsberg Becker, Georgie Mathew
StellaNova Film
Brahegatan 18
11437 Stockholm
Sweden
Phone: +46 707886080
Email: cecilia@stellanovafilm.com
www.stellanovafilm.com
26 NPP 2011
2011 NPP 27