blonde ambition - Swedish Film Institute

18
WHAt’s
next?
We check out some of Sweden’s most interesting
directors in mid-production. TExT PER NYSTRöM
mikael marcimain: “For me, the 70s is also the
time when sweden’s image began to change”
mikael marcimain made himself known to
swedish television audiences with his
drama series The Laser Man (Lasermannen,
2005) about the real case of a man
who used a laser rifle sight to shoot a
number of immigrants, and also with How
Soon is Now? (Upp till kamp, 2007), about
political movements of the 60s and 70s
involving young people in göteborg.
in his upcoming feature debut Marcimain
takes another look back into history to reflect, in
his own way, the sweden of today. his film Call
Girl (2012) is based on a prostitution scandal of
the 1970s in which several high-ranking
politicians, including the swedish Minister for
Justice at the time, Lennart geijer, were
involved. but although it was inspired by real
events, Call Girl is by no means an attempt to
replicate exactly what happened.
“When i made The Laser Man i wanted to
achieve a kind of documentary reality. Call Girl is
more of an emotional film, inspired by the
possibilities of what might have happened and
also by the political climate of the time.”
mikael marcimain and
the cast of Call Girls.
what is it that fascinates you about the 70s?
“basically i like the films from that period,
especially american political thrillers, but what
drew me to this now was the fact that i thought it
would be an exciting story to tell. i grew up in the
70s and i think it’s fascinating to go back and
reconnect with what you experienced as a child.
For me, the 70s is also the time when sweden’s
image began to change. What was once seen
as an idyllic country was slowly but surely
beginning to change with the erosion of
previous ideals.”
HOYTE VAN HOYTEMA