The Hypnosis, directed by Ernst De Geer and written by De Geer and Mads Stegger, has finished filming. This is De Geer’s highly anticipated feature film debut after acclaimed shorts including The Culture which was a big festival success.

Herbert Nordrum (The Worst Person In The World) and Asta August (The Kingdom) play a young, Stockholm-based entrepreneurial couple who are trying to get a female health app start-up off the ground. On the eve of a competitive pitching event, the female partner undergoes hypnosis to break her smoking habit but in the process is also stripped of all her inhibitions. The premise for The Hypnosis grew out of De Geer’s observation of how modern society encourages people to be themselves but at the same time rejects people who do not conform to ideas of acceptable behaviour.

Mimmi Spång lead produces under production company Garagefilm International. The release date is yet to be announced.

The psychological thriller Boy From Heaven, written and directed by Tarik Saleh, premiered at the Cannes Film Festival last week and has received great praise from international media.

“Boy from Heaven shows a rare level of philosophical engagement with the subject, something that pays off beautifully in its articulate and nuanced last act. /…/ Saleh’s film works on many more levels than sociopolitical, delivering a sophisticated adult thriller while at the same time exploring the intense psychological dynamic of the relationship between Adam and Ibrahim, who might not be as invincible as thinks he is. It’s a strange fit for Cannes, but more festival slots surely will follow — and hopefully bigger projects for this smart, stylish director.”
Deadline (US)

“Boy From Heaven marks another solid entry from writer-director Tarik Saleh, whose 2017 feature, The Nile Hilton Incident, put him on the map as a filmmaker deftly using genre to explore the tangled state of modern-day Egypt. /…/ An intriguingly damning portrait of the corruption currently hitting Egypt on all levels.”
Hollywood Reporter (US)

“Tarik Saleh’s superbly realised paranoid nightmare /…/ Now in an era when the Arab spring has arguably become a bittersweet memory, he has brought to the Cannes competition this watchable conspiracy espionage-drama satirising the corruption of church and state. There’s an intriguing mix of scorn and paranoia here, together with a yearning for individual figures of decency halfway down the food chain – it reminded me of John le Carré. /…/ A bold piece of work.”
The Guardian (UK)

“[A] satisfying thriller. /…/ Boy From Heaven is an ambitiously complex story of religious espionage. It was conceived as a Name Of The Rose-style mystery transposed to a Muslim world, but also has much in common with Jacques Audiard’s A Prophet in its backdrop of factions and power plays and in the trajectory of its central character, from innocent greenhorn negotiating a web of alliances to jaded, compromised survivor. There’s definite commercial potential here, as evidenced by the fact that it has already sold to Picturehouse in the UK. /…/ Boy From Heaven is a handsomely shot work, with Turkey doubling persuasively for Egypt. Widescreen shots capture the sober grandeur of the institution and the tumult of the streets outside; God’s eye camera positions offer glimpses of the covert meetings and calculated campaigns of a world which is driven by the schemes and whims of powerful men.”
Screen Daily (US)

Netflix has greenlit the Swedish action film A Day and a Half, which will be the directorial debut of Fares Fares. Fares Fares is also writing, alongside Peter Smirnakos.

Police officer Lukas (Fares Fares), is tracking down Artan (Alexej Manvelov) and Louise (Alma Pöysti), a divorced couple who have embarked on an emotionally charged road trip, resulting in Artan taking Louise hostage in order to reunite with his daughter. The journey takes them through rural Sweden during a hot summer, all while having the police on their heels.

Warner Bros. International TV Production is producing and the premiere is set for 2023.

Then. The tradition amongst the tight-knit group of friends endure, five years after graduation they still catch up over dinner at the Greek tavern every Friday. A scorching hot July eve the atmosphere is festive, but beneath the surface conflicts are brewing and the night ends in the worst imaginable way when William – the heart and soul of the group – is found dead.

Now. Ten years have passed since Sophie last saw the others when she receives a dinner invitation from Ava. In spite of her reluctance to return to town, Sophie can’t resist the temptation to once and for all find out the truth about what happened to William. Turns out, Ava has an alternate agenda for the reunion and soon they find themselves locked into her grand, yet oddly stripped back apartment. Next to everyone’s seat Ava has placed boxes containing clues indicating that the friends haven’t been telling the truth about that fateful night all these years, sending them on a grim walk down memory lane.

Anna E. Wahlgren’s The Reunion is a psychologically charged and suspenseful locked-room mystery about ingrained roles and the darker shades of our closest relationships.

Stefan Ahnhem’s The Final Nail claims the No. 1 spot for paperback fiction on the official Norwegian bestseller list.

Ulf Kvensler’s Sarek features at No. 4 on the official list for fiction in Sweden this week.