Leo

Tenderness and brutality share the screen withthe mystical and comical in Josef Fares’ films. Injust a few years, Fares has established himselfas one of the most innovative and distinctivevoices of Swedish cinema. Refusing to followa particular stylistic route, Fares redefineshimself as a filmmaker with each new feature;the uproariously bawdy tone of “Jalla! Jalla!”gave way to the powerful, tragic punch andsurreal journey through war and fantasy in“Zozo”.Unprovoked violence lies at the heart of Fares’latest feature. Celebrating his 30th birthday,Leo toasts to the future, but as the sounds ofmerriment die down and he strolls home handin hand with his girlfriend, actions take placethat forever will shape his inner and outer life.The change is irreversible.When “Zozo” was released it was toutedas autobiographical by the press, but as withall better films dealing with biographicalmaterial,there was no urgent itch for theviewer to find out what was “truth” and whatwas “fiction” – the story was striking in itself.Fares practices the same effective storytellingin “Leo”.

Face2Face:
Saturday 17 November
SKANDIA 15.30
WITH: Josef Fares (director and actor)
MODERATOR: Roger Wilson (culture journalist)

Red Carpet
Thursday 15 November
SKANDIA 19:00