CALL GIRL

Director Mikael Marcimain / 2012 / Finland,Ireland,Norway,Sweden

"Masterful ... a meaty, never-sensationalistic political thriller that benefits from its slow-burn approach." – Variety

In 1970s Sweden, Iris is a troubled 14-year-old groomed in the world of child prostitution. As she is drawn further into a sordid industry with links to the country's elite, police are also unravelling just how far the scandal has spread through the corridors of power. With Sweden's reputation for sexual liberation as a backdrop and a looming election at stake, this compelling political thriller steeps individuals and a nation in a world of innocence lost.

Similar in tone to classic US thrillers of the 1970s and inspired by real events from the era, Call Girl generated controversy after the family of assassinated Swedish Prime Minister Olof Palme accused the film of slander.

Winner of four Guldbagge awards (the Swedish Film Awards) as well as the FIPRESCI International Critics Award (Discovery) at the Toronto International Film Festival, Mikael Marcimain's debut feature echoes the cool precision of the recent Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, on which he served as second unit director. The film was shot beautifully by cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema (Let the Right One In, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy) and looks striking on the big screen.

"Marcimain's 70s era vision is not nostalgic; it's visceral. And it's smart." – FIPRESCI

D Mikael Marcimain P Mimmi Spång S Marietta von Hausswolff von Baumgarten WS Swedish Film Institute L Swedish w/English subtitles TD DCP/2012
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