Småstad (2016)

	Also Known As: Small Town Curtains, Kleinstadt
	Year of first release: 2016
	Director: Johan Löfstedt
	Actors: Family Löfstedt
	Country: S
	Genre: Drama
	Conditions of visioning: 04.11.2016, CineStar 5, NFDL2016, Swedish with English subtitles
Synopsis: It starts with a burial – Björn, the deceased’s son, is supposed to give a eulogy for his father, but can’t get a word out. Brother to four sisters, even as a child he was a shy and cautious person. But his father’s last message provides an impetus to make changes in his life. Björn starts to get involved in the theatre world. His sisters have also received video messages that have gotten them thinking in new ways about their jobs and their relationships with their nearest and dearest.
Review: The main reason why I wanted to watch this movie is the thin line between documentary and fiction. During the Q&A the director Johan Löfstedt confirmed: "It started as documentary and finished as a fiction. Only change from the reality is grandfather dies". This major change let the family think about this possible event and their acting was even more authentic at it was the confrontation of themselves to an event that they know will come. They got prepared somehow. Even if this kind of movie is a unique experiment, this was very original to me. Apart from these authentic scenes some more authenticity is given by the private videos of the family cut within the movie. This can sound sometimes a bit too much voyeurism. But I liked this. About the characters, the director declared: "There are two fears in Sweden. To speak in public and death." This gives us the context to understand better the story. And this means that even if it is not a documentary, the director wants to give something from the reality of Sweden.  After the movie, a part of the family present during Q&A accepted to take a picture for JoRafCinema in front of the poster of their movie.
Rating: 6 /10