HOTDOCS FILM FESTIVAL APRIL 23-MAY 3, 2015. A couple of Swedish documentary films in this year’s 2015 selection have a lot to do with today’s woes in the world. There is an emotionally charged film about twin refugees seeking solace in Sweden (one of the world’s most open countries) and dealing with their emotional baggage, as well as one about faking a wedding to escape their home country of Syria to settle in peaceful Sweden. It gives you a glimpse of what modern Sweden is dealing with in their shift to the right and handling their increasingly large immigrant population. I am looking forward to seeing these documentaries!
At least there is one light Swedish film about bloggers who make or break restaurants by reviewing them on their popular blogs. Being a foodie, it sounds very interesting.
Summaries taken from HotDocs.com:
Blood Sisters
Twins Julia and Johanna arrive in Malmö, Sweden, from Azerbaijan, carrying unspeakable emotional baggage. The inseparable sisters curl up beside each other at night, trying to fend off nightmares of abduction and abuse. They are survivors who have an unbreakable bond that transcends trauma, and a striking symbiosis that is beyond supportive. The siblings promise to always be there for one another, to never let anyone own them, and ink their intentions as tattoos. But when Julia decides to get married, one vow severs another and the young women fall out of copacetic communication. Their separation brings the past vividly back into the present and forces them to confront questions about who they are without the other. Are Johanna and Julia stronger together or apart? Blood Sisters is exceedingly successful at portraying the sisters’ inner lives—their intimacy and isolation, their strength and shame—through sublime cinematography that completely immerses the audience in the twin connection. Angie Driscoll
On the Bride’s Side
Five immigrants fleeing the Syrian war find renewed hope when a Lebanese poet, an Italian journalist and a dozen of their friends offer to stage a fake wedding to help them travel illegally across Europe. Their final destination: Sweden, where they will seek refugee status and a chance at a new life. Along the way, stories of sorrow, regret, hopes and dreams come to life in this fascinating 3,000 kilometre road movie that has already won many fans at prestigious festivals like Venice and IDFA. More than a traditional documentary, On The Bride’s Side is a statement and an irreverent act of defiance on the part of a seldom-heard segment of Europeans who feel the need to speak out against immigration laws they deem unjust and arbitrary. Juan Baquero
Foodies
Mouthwateringly delicious and aesthetically pleasing cuisine is the passionate mission for an eclectic group of globetrotting culinary bloggers who are changing the critical landscape of the food world. Each with more than 100,000 followers, restaurant reviews have been taken over by this new crop of jet-setters who can make or break a restaurant with a single post. This has led some of the world’s best known chefs to ask, “Who are these supposed expert epicureans?” Meet the individuals behind Andy Hayler’s Restaurant Guide, The Skinny Bib, K’s Luxe Dining Table, Opinionated About Dining and Luxeat as they travel from ends of the earth to eat at, talk about and write up the best of the best restaurants. All of them follow a particular path to the three-star Michelin restaurants, where they review the food for their own popular blogs. Entering the hearts and minds of these singular food lovers with big appetites, Foodies takes a humourous and fascinating look at a subculture obsessed with deliciously inventive cuisines. Kathleen Mullen
the swede life in toronto 
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