| Marianne | |
|---|---|
Theatrical release poster |
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| Directed by | Filip Tegstedt |
| Produced by | Filip Tegstedt Alexandra Malmqvist |
| Screenplay by | Filip Tegstedt |
| Starring | Peter Stormare Thomas Hedengran Dylan M. Johansson Tintin Anderzon Viktoria Sätter Sandra Larsson |
| Music by | Mikael Junehag |
| Release date(s) | August 2, 2011 (Fantasia) |
| Country | Sweden |
| Language | Swedish |
Marianne is a 2011 Swedish horror film, directed by Filip Tegstedt, that premiered at the 2011 Fantasia International Film Festival on 2 August 2011.[1]
Hailed by one reviewer as "one of the great discoveries in genre cinema this year", this film is set in the town of Östersund, in the Jämtland region to the north of Sweden, and focuses on the mental state of Krister, a man who is left to raise a newborn baby whilst coping with a teenage daughter who blames him for the recent death of his wife. [2] In the midst of his psychological turmoil, Krister suffers from terrible nightmares and becomes convinced that his troubles may be the work of a Mare that is haunting him.[3]
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Filip Tegstedt has commented in numerous interviews that he wanted to make a film that explores Swedish folklore surrounding the concept of the Mare, traditionally thought to be responsible for the contemporary medical phenomenon of sleep paralysis. This is a condition where patients report waking up paralyzed, unable to move, whilst feeling a presence in the room like someone is watching them. The paralysis often comes with the sense of a heavy weight on their chest that makes it difficult to breathe. [4]
Contributing to the development of this film was a reaction against the funding priorities of the Swedish Film Institute. Tegstedt has remarked that part of the reason why there are no good horror films in Sweden is that horror films are seen to be, culturally speaking, a lower class of film, less deserving of funding. In reaction to this perceived genre hierarchy, Tegstedt decided to liquidate all his assets in order to finance the production of Marianne. “I wanted to make a horror film because there really haven’t been that many good Swedish horror films. Most of the ones that have been made have been very un-Swedish and Americanized.” [5]
While other producers also offered to finance his debut feature, they were only willing to do this on the condition that Marianne was filmed in Stockholm. Filip felt that a key part of the story was the northern location of Östersund, and the fact that it was his hometown, and that he wanted the film to be as authentic to his vision as possible. Tegstedt commented in a recent interview that "I wanted to shoot the film in my hometown Östersund, which is a very special place with a very supernatural feel to it. During the summers, when the story takes place, we only get about one hour of darkness and the pine trees, lakes and snowy mountains make for a great setting when it comes to a story like this. Also, folklore is still very much alive here. So all of this kind of blended together and it became a psychological horror drama." [6]
Marianne has received a stream of positive reviews. Garry McConnachie of MCMBUZZ wrote that "director Tegstedt gets his character development spot on and his use of sound and visuals ensure viewers will be on the edge of their seats when it’s required", and that "Marianne is an extremely accomplished debut that will get under the skin". [12] Kurt Halfyard of Twitch described Marianne as "a film that subtly uses the language of domestic drama to craft a realistic and true horror film", and also noted that this "is a brave thing to attempt with a first feature". Kurt Halfyard was so impressed that he added "Somebody, please, get Guillermo del Toro in contact with Filip Tegstedt because here is a young director with the chops to make a The Devil's Backbone or a Pan's Labyrinth if he were given the finances and freedom to do so. In fact, he may well already have done the former with Marianne." [13]
In his description of Marianne on the Fantasia Festival website, Simon Laperrière described Marianne as "an unusually potent piece of work. As poignant as it is petrifying, it’s one of the great discoveries in genre cinema this year". [14]