Leslie on Fire

Leslie Tay is working on the biggest project of his life: the recording and release of his long-awaited debut album. His signature genre is “RnB in Swedish”, a music style that is both passionate and emotionally honest. In order to reach his goal – for the audience to love his music – he needs to access his own vulnerability and channel it in the music. This leads us back in time, to Leslies childhood days in Sofielund, Malmö, a segregated area suffering with poverty and crime. A rough environment where the last thing you want to show others is your vulnerability. A place where nobody ever talks about feelings. We meet a 14-year-old boy who dreams of “becoming really famous in the music industry” but soon becomes “the most fucked up kid” in the area. The kid none of the parents want their children to hang out with. With a material that spans over 15 years, we follow Leslie on his path to breaking through as an artist and fighting for his dreams. Despite moving to Stockholm, he is constantly reminded of the brutality in his childhood neighborhood.

The film is about dreams and adversities, will power and patience, masculinity norms and the liberating power of creativity.

“This is my biggest and perhaps most relevant film project ever. It’s a breathtaking story about a very talented performer, who is a complex and charismatic individual at the same time” says Stefan Berg.

SWEDISH DISTRIBUTION BY DOC LOUNGE

Leslie on Fire / Leslie Brinner will have Swedish distribution through Doc Lounge and will be released in cinemas on November 9.

The film is also part of Doc Lounge Impact Hub, a new project and branch within Doc Lounge, focusing on outreach and impact. Read more about the project here.