Himmel över Flogsta

Last year Viktor Johansson's directoral debut Under Gottsunda had its world premiere at Doc Lounge, and received a lot of attention - for example, Swedish paper Nöjesguiden called it one of the best movies of the year. Now it's time for Viktor's new movie, Himmel över Flogsta, to hit the big screen. Just like in Under Gottsunda, Himmel över Flogsta reminds us of movies like Harmony Korine's Gummo and a dirtier form of the suggestive magic we can find in Terence Mallick's work. It's a genre hybrid, deeply entrenched in the infamous - yet beloved - student neighbourhood Flogsta in the Swedish town of Uppsala.

Like in any neighbourhood with such a distinct character, many of its inhabitants love Flogsta. We meet a gang of dumpster diving vegan girls, a hockey hooligan that's considering becoming a lawyer and his burping friend. "You're angels acting like swine", an older man tells a young, disillusioned guy that's obsessed by Michael Jackson. The young man has seen Michael's face appear in a pizza carton and he knows that the star is still there for his fans. It's a comfort as good as any other.

It's hard not to recognize parts of yourself in the characters portrayed in Himmel över Flogsta. But it also shows us new sides of Sweden that we might not even have known excisted. Open your eyes and consider how much you actually know about your neighbours.