Photo: Norstedts

‘Genombrottet’ to premiere on Netflix 2023

It is now official that the new series entitled Genombrottet will premiere on Netflix in 2023. The five episodes, written by Oskar Söderlund and directed by Lisa Siwe, are based on the novel Genombrottet: Så löste släktforskaren dubbelmordet i Linköping by Anna Bodin and Peter Sjölund.

Genombrottet is described as a “dramatization of an unexpected hero, an unlikely collaboration and the hunt for a killer.” At the same time it is a story about “how an unsolved crime affects a society and what happens to people who are left without answers to both ‘who?’ and ‘why?’.”

The police chief and the genealogist will be portrayed by Peter Eggers and Mattias Nordkvist. The series is produced by FLX.

Tarik Saleh’s ‘Boy From Heaven’ wins the main prize in Lübeck

Tarik Saleh’s Boy from Heaven won the prestigious NDR Film Prize at the 64th edition of the Nordic Film Days in Lübeck. The film also won the INTERFILM Church Prize, which was awarded during the closing ceremony. The film is Sweden’s Oscar entry for Best International Feature Film.

The NDR Film award is the festival’s biggest prize. Awarded annually since 1990, the prize goes to a “feature film of special artistic quality” which should “reflect society with an independent creative language and explore new perspectives regarding content and aesthetics”.

–It is a great honor to win the main prize in Lübeck and the Church prize. Our goal was always to make a film that wouldn’t be locked in time and space. It moves me deeply to be recognized for our hard work, says Tarik Saleh.

Boy from Heaven will open the Stockholm International Film Festival on Wednesday November 9, and will be released in Swedish theatres on November 18.

‘Poor Thing’ shortlisted for the Norwegian Booksellers’ Prize 2022

Matias Faldbakken’s Poor Thing has been shortlisted for the esteemed Norwegian Booksellers’ Prize 2022 (Bokhandlerprisen) for “Book of the Year”.

The motivation is as follows: “You know it’s going to be good. Really good. /…/ We’re talking about a primitive and almost inarticulate word flow, almost an archaic, exhorting poem. It pushes this text to the very limits of what can be explained, and it as the same time one of the strongest pieces of writing one can encounter in contemporary Norwegian literature. If you are ready for this autumn’s most thrilling and distinctive reading experiences, all you have to do is throw yourself over Poor Thing.

The Norwegian Booksellers’ Prize is awarded following a vote amongst all those who work in bookstores in Norway. Eligible books are those considered to be one of the “Books of the Year” written by a Norwegian author. The prize was awarded for the first time in 1948, and this year’s winner will be announced November 22nd.

‘An Entirely Different Story’ published in Sweden

In Stefan Ahnhem’s highly anticipated spin-off novel, An Entirely Different Story, famous lifestyle influencer is found murdered in a suite at one of Stockholm’s finest hotels. Is it a cold staged execution, or the result of erotic play gone too far?

The former colleague of Fabian Risk, Malin Rehnberg, recovered from the events in The Ninth Grave three years prior, receives the case on her desk and is forced to fight against her new boss who wants the regional criminal police to focus on an ongoing trafficking investigation. And at the same time, family life together with Anders out in Enskede is getting increasingly unstable.

When yet another murder occurs, everything turns on its head. Is there any connection between the victims, can these cases be part of something bigger, and what does that persistent stalker who keeps appearing in the investigation actually want?

 

The 2022 Petrona Award longlist

The Petrona Award’s jury has just presented its longlist for the 2022 Petrona Award for ‘Best Scandinavian Crime Novel of the Year.’ The list of twelve nominees include Katrine Engberg with The Butterfly House, Jørn Lier Horst & Thomas Enger with Smoke Screen, Anders Roslund with Knock Knock, and Antti Tuomainen with The Rabbit Factor.

The shortlist is to be announced on 16 November 2022.

‘The Spider’ No. 1 in Norway

Lars Kepler’s The Spider is No. 1 on the official weekly bestseller list for hardcover fiction in Norway. The novel comes in first on the e-book list as well.

‘The Search for the Magical Christmas Village’ published in Norway

Detective Agency No. 2 are tasked with finding a very unique snow globe and bringing it home before Christmas. Alongside Grandpa Franz they set course northwards. They ready the sleigh and head out on a thrilling journey – that you as the reader get to come along for. On every page there’s a challenge that needs to be solved in order for the search to continue. The reader get to help out in finding tracks, crack codes and solve tasks along the way. Keep your eyes peeled. The solutions are hidden in the text and images – and on the next page.

The Search for the Magical Christmas Village is the tenth activity book in the Detective Agency No. 2 series.

 

Trailer release for SVT’s Christmas Calendar

SVT’s Christmas Calendar, an annual TV series for children and families, has been broadcasted since 1960 and is still today an essential part of the contemporary Swedish Christmas tradition.

This year’s Christmas Calendar is called The Crown Prince Who Disappeared and revolves around the young Crown Prince Carl Vilhelm Gyllencrona who is accused of having kidnapped his own mother, Queen Lovisa. He is forced to flee the castle and meets the poor girl Hilda, who helps him hide under a false identity. The Crown Prince is being hunted, someone is after the throne and the kingdom’s treasury. The Crown Prince must fight to prove his innocence and save the queen.

The cast features Xavier Canca-Englund as the Crown Prince, and his best friend Hilda is played by Kerstin Linden. Also starring are Arvin Kananian, Maria Lundqvist and Sissela Kyle.

‘Dimmed Lights’ published in Sweden

It’s summer at its best: the flowers are blooming, the sea is sparkling, and August has just initiated a big bake-off between the citizens of Hovenäset. But then the fog comes rolling in. The idyllic summer mood is shattered when a man is found hung from a diving tower by the beach. The death quickly stirs detective Maria Martinsson’s and her colleagues’ suspicions. Who is the deceased, and what brought him to Hovenäset?

The case takes them back in time to the dreadful summer of 1989, when Lydia Broman was found murdered and dismembered in her home.

Was the right culprit caught that time? And how far are those who wish for the past to remain in the past, willing to go?

Dimmed Lights is the third installment in Kristina Ohlsson’s No. 1 bestselling series about August Strindberg.

‘There’s Something in the Barn’ now shooting

Magnus Martens’ Norwegian holiday horror There’s Something in the Barn has begun shooting.

There’s Something in the Barn follows a typical American family who inherit a farm in the Norwegian mountains and cross paths with a tricky creature from Nordic folklore, the Barn Elf. The family must avoid incurring the wrath of this gnome-like Santa by eschewing all bright lights and loud noises and making sure to leave a bowl of porridge on Christmas Eve.

In the leading roles we find Martin Starr (Spider-Man films, Intruders) and Amrita Acharia (Game Of Thrones, The Serpent Queen). Produced by Norway’s 74 Entertainment, with US-based XYZ Films executive producing and co-financing, the film will make its market debut at AFM.