Marianne (2011 film)
Encyclopedia
Marianne is a 2011 Swedish horror film
, directed by Filip Tegstedt
, that premiered at the 2011 Fantasia International Film Festival
on 2 August 2011.
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. 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.
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.
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.”
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."
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."
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".
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
, directed by Filip Tegstedt
Filip Tegstedt
Filip Tegstedt is a Swedish film director, notable for directing the 2011 Swedish language horror film Marianne which will premiere at the 2011 Fantasia International Film Festival.-Influences:...
, that premiered at the 2011 Fantasia International Film Festival
Fantasia Festival
Fantasia International Film Festival is a genre film festival that has been based mainly in Montreal since its founding in 1996...
on 2 August 2011.
Hailed by one reviewer as "one of the great discoveries in genre cinema this year", this film is set in the town of Östersund
Östersund
Östersund is an urban area in Jämtland in the middle of Sweden. It is the seat of Östersund Municipality and the capital of Jämtland County. Östersund is located at the shores of Sweden's fifth largest lake, Storsjön, opposite the island Frösön, and is the only city in Jämtland. Östersund is the...
, in the Jämtland
Jämtland
Jämtland or Jamtland is a historical province or landskap in the center of Sweden in northern Europe. It borders to Härjedalen and Medelpad in the south, Ångermanland in the east, Lapland in the north and Trøndelag and Norway in the west...
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. 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
Mare (folklore)
A mare or nightmare is a spirit or goblin in Germanic folklore which rides on people's chests while they sleep, bringing on bad dreams . The mare is attested as early as in the Norse Ynglinga saga from the 13th century, but the belief itself is likely to be considerably older...
that is haunting him.
Production
Filip TegstedtFilip Tegstedt
Filip Tegstedt is a Swedish film director, notable for directing the 2011 Swedish language horror film Marianne which will premiere at the 2011 Fantasia International Film Festival.-Influences:...
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
Sleep paralysis
Sleep paralysis is paralysis associated with sleep that may occur in healthy persons or may be associated with narcolepsy, cataplexy, and hypnagogic hallucinations. The pathophysiology of this condition is closely related to the normal hypotonia that occurs during REM sleep. When considered to be a...
. 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.
Contributing to the development of this film was a reaction against the funding priorities of the Swedish Film Institute
Swedish Film Institute
The Swedish Film Institute was founded in 1963 to support and develop the Swedish film industry. The institute is housed in the Filmhuset building located in Gärdet, Östermalm in Stockholm...
. 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.”
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
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
. Filip felt that a key part of the story was the northern location of Östersund
Östersund
Östersund is an urban area in Jämtland in the middle of Sweden. It is the seat of Östersund Municipality and the capital of Jämtland County. Östersund is located at the shores of Sweden's fifth largest lake, Storsjön, opposite the island Frösön, and is the only city in Jämtland. Östersund is the...
, 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."
Cast
- Peter StormarePeter Stormareis a Swedish film, stage, voice and television actor as well as a theatrical director, playwright and musician.- Early life :...
as Sven, the therapist that Krister sees to help resolve his nightmares. - Thomas HedengranThomas Hedengran-Biography:Hedengran has become a well known actor in many Swedish television series and films. He has also worked as a stage actor in Lorden från gränden and Intiman....
as Krister, a teacher who begins to experience strange nightmares while trying to redeem his relationship with his daughter Sandra. - Dylan M. Johansson as Stiff, the pothead older boyfriend of Sandra who has an intense interest in Swedish Folklore.
- Tintin AnderzonTintin AnderzonAnna Catharina Tintin Anderzon, born 29 April 1964, is a Swedish actress and daughter of actor Kim Anderzon.-Biography:Anderzon recently co starred in the feature film Marianne and has also starred in many Swedish film and television roles.-Filmography:...
as Eva, the wife of Krister and the mother of Sandra. - Viktoria Sätter as Marianne, the titular creature of Nordic Folklore whom Stiff believes is responsible for Krister's nightmares.
- Sandra LarssonSandra LarssonSandra Larsson, is a Swedish actress notable for her role in the Swedish horror film Marianne.-Biography:Larsson recently starred in the feature film Marianne...
as Sandra, the daughter of Krister and Eva who resents her father for cheating on her Mother.
Marketing
- The director of Marianne, Filip TegstedtFilip TegstedtFilip Tegstedt is a Swedish film director, notable for directing the 2011 Swedish language horror film Marianne which will premiere at the 2011 Fantasia International Film Festival.-Influences:...
has remarked that the marketing strategy depends on getting press. He's commented that he's received a lot of good press from social networks, bloggers, film sites and newspapers. - Filip TegstedtFilip TegstedtFilip Tegstedt is a Swedish film director, notable for directing the 2011 Swedish language horror film Marianne which will premiere at the 2011 Fantasia International Film Festival.-Influences:...
has also commented that his strategy relies on getting accepted into film festivals. So far, his film been accepted into the 2011 Fantasia International Film FestivalFantasia FestivalFantasia International Film Festival is a genre film festival that has been based mainly in Montreal since its founding in 1996...
, and other festivals that he can't talk about yet. - Secret footage of Marianne can be accessed by highlighting invisible text on the film's .
- Two teaser trailers have been released so far, and can also be found on the films official website.
- A highly updated Facebook page with news relating to the film is maintained by the film's producers.
- A regularly updated Twitter account is also maintained by the film's producers
Reception
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". 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 ToroGuillermo del Toro
Guillermo del Toro is a Mexican director, producer, screenwriter, novelist and designer. He is mostly known for his acclaimed films, Blade II, Pan's Labyrinth and the Hellboy film franchise. He is a frequent collaborator with Ron Perlman, Federico Luppi and Doug Jones...
in contact with Filip Tegstedt
Filip Tegstedt
Filip Tegstedt is a Swedish film director, notable for directing the 2011 Swedish language horror film Marianne which will premiere at the 2011 Fantasia International Film Festival.-Influences:...
because here is a young director with the chops to make a The Devil's Backbone
The Devil's Backbone
The Devil's Backbone is a 2001 Spanish-Mexican gothic thriller film written by Guillermo del Toro, Antonio Trashorras and David Muñoz, and directed by Guillermo del Toro. It was independently produced by Pedro Almodóvar....
or a Pan's Labyrinth
Pan's Labyrinth
Pan's Labyrinth is a 2006 Spanish Spanish-language dark fantasy film, written and directed by Mexican film-maker Guillermo del Toro. It was produced and distributed by the Mexican film company Esperanto Films...
if he were given the finances and freedom to do so. In fact, he may well already have done the former with Marianne."
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".