Metropia is one of three Swedish films at this year's Venice Film Festival. Photo: Atmo
No fewer than three Swedish films will get their world premieres at this year's prestigious Venice Film Festival: Jörgen Bergmark's A Rational Solution (Det enda rationella), Metropia by Tarik Saleh and Erik Gandini's Videocracy. The 66th Venice International Film Festival runs from 2–12 September.
A Rational Solution and Metropia will screen as part of Critics' Week (Settimana della Critica) which comprises seven works plus an opening and closing film. Metropia will open the week, and both films are competing for the prize for best debut film at the festival. A Rational Solution will also be competing for the USD 100.000 Critics' Week prize. In unique conjunction with the parallel festival Venice Days, Critics' week is also set to screen the documentary Videocracy, a study of the power of television in Italy.
With a screenplay by Jens Jonsson, A Rational Solution is about a husband and wife, Erland and May, who offer marriage guidance sessions through their local church. When Erland falls in love with his best friend's wife the unusual solution is for the two couples to move in together under certain rules. The film is produced by Hepp Film and distributed by Nordisk Film. The Swedish premiere is 25 September. The film, which is set for cinema distribution in Italy, was granted production funding by the Swedish Film Institute, film commissioner Lisa Ohlin.
Metropia is an animation set in a Europe of the future where oil is running out and a gigantic subway system links the entire continent. Voiceover contributors to the film include Vincent Gallo, Juliette Lewis and Stellan Skarsgård. Produced by Atmo Metro AB, the film is distributed by Sandrew Metronome. Swedish premiere: 6 November.
Atmo is also the production company behind Erik Gandini's Videocracy, which looks at one of Italy's hottest political issues. For this reason the Italian distributor Fandango has decided to release Videocracy direct to cinemas throughout Italy in September. Videocracy has also been officially selected for the Toronto Film Festival, 10–19 September. In Sweden the film will be distributed by Folkets Bio with a premiere set for 28 August. Metropia and Videocracy were both granted production funding by the Swedish Film Institute, film commissioner Peter "Piodor" Gustafsson.
"Sweden hasn't had a film in the Venice Critics' Week since 1992, so this is a major success for Swedish film," says Pia Lundberg, Director of the Swedish Film Institute's international department.
Settimana della Critica section in Venice:
www.sicvenezia.it/
Keep up to date with Swedish films internationally:
www.sfi.se/sv/svensk-film/Svensk-film-i-utlandet/
Swedish films in Venice through the years:
www.sfi.se/sv/svensk-film/Utmarkelser/Svensk-film-i-Venedig-genom-aren/
For further information, please contact:
A Rational Solution (Det enda rationella)
Anne-Helen Sommarström,
Publicity Manager, Sommarström Marketing
Ah.sommarstrom@telia.com, mobile: +46-708-23 04 40
Metropia and Videocracy
Ann-Louice Dahlgren
Associate producer/Publicity Manager, Atmo
annlouice@atmo.se, mobile +46-708 433119 alternative +39 333 7447944
Pia Lundberg
Director, International Department, Swedish Film Institute
pia.lundberg@sfi.se, +46 8 665 11 39
Stockholm, July 27th 2009