SWEDISH TITLE

"Han som ville henne så väl"

ROLE

Director

Producer

RUNTIME

14 min

"A vengeful father suspects that his mentally disabled daughter has been the victim of sexual abuse and confronts the caregiver he believes to be guilty."

A psychological thriller, based on a radio play by Björn Boström, and starring Per Ragnar. Premiered at Palm Springs ShortFest and Gothenburg Film Festival.

team | festivals | review | article

— QUOTE

Sara Wadell, curator at

Gothenburg Int. Film Festival

“Per Ragnar is utterly believable as the vindictive father of a disabled girl in a care home. Skillfully built tension and a foreboding mood.”

PROCESS

Upon reading the radio-play by Björn Boström, I was captivated by its study in guilt and exposure. The idea grew to make a timeless genre film —a thriller resting on moral dilemmas, leaving viewers unsure about whom to sympathise. And an ending where everything comes to a head.

Taking it to the screen meant going from what was heard and not seen to the medium where everything is visual. We maintained the thriller aspect by focusing on what's not in frame as much as what is. Additionally, a 5.1 surround score and sound design were crafted to purposefully mislead viewers and instill doubt about the whereabouts of off-screen characters.

Inspired by his previous work I had the pleasure of working with legendary Swedish actor, Per Ragnar. I aimed to create a chamber-piece that evoked chills, leveraging Ragnar's mastery of minimalistic and implosive acting. The tone we aimed for was disturbing and subversive, complemented by a Fincher-esque color grade that lent the film an atmosphere of lost footage difficult to place in time.

The film went on to win numerous awards and marked a significant milestone in my directing career.