"I remember watching the Oscars when I was 14 in my friend's basement in Skellefteå. If I had met my younger self then and told him that he would one day represent Sweden, he would never have believed me. So it's an amazing feeling," says an emotional Milad.
The Swedish Oscars Committee has selected Milad Alami's new film 'Motståndaren' as Sweden's entry for the Oscars. The committee, made up of eight people from various industry organizations and the Swedish Film Institute, chose this film over 'Together 99' by Lukas Moodysson and Mika Gustafson's 'Paradise is Burning,' which were also pre-nominated.
– I'm excited and honored! I'm especially proud of the fantastic actors and the team, Alami tells Norran just after the announcement that his film will be Sweden's entry to the Oscars.
'Motståndaren' which premiered in March, is a psychological drama focusing on an Iranian professional wrestler Iman, who is forced to flee the country after a teammate reveals a secret about him. Along with his wife and two daughters, Iman arrives at a snow-covered refugee camp in northern Sweden. Here, his secret is neither punishable nor particularly shameful but could shatter his family.
How does it feel to be Sweden's entry for the Oscars?
– I remember watching the Oscars when I was 14 in my friend's basement in Skellefteå. If I had met my younger self then and told him that he would one day represent Sweden, he would never have believed me. So it's an amazing feeling, says an emotional Milad.
The script for the film was written by Milad Alami very quickly, perhaps because he has experienced the pain of fleeing from his homeland himself.
– I came to Sweden in the late '80s because of the war in Iran. There was a wave of refugees then. We ended up in a refugee camp in Boden. I wanted the film to have a sense of the anxiety I felt back then when your entire world changes. A limbo mixed with stress and anxiety. And the waiting we experienced was much shorter than it is for many now. It was a different time. We got an apartment in Skellefteå quite quickly, and my parents liked the city, so we stayed until I was 23.
The Swedish Oscars Committee chose director Milad Alami's film 'Motståndaren' as Sweden's candidate in the category for the Oscar for Best International Feature Film.
How much have you included your personal experiences in 'Motståndaren'?
– It was a challenging shoot for me. Those who play refugees as extras are real newcomers. During the shoot, I began to notice that what is in their bodies is still in mine. Despite the many years and a different economic and social status, I still feel what they feel. When we made this film, not many people knew what was going on in Iran. That it is a dictatorship with an atmosphere that creates paranoia. You always have to think about who you talk to and what you say.
Still from the film 'Motståndaren''. Payman Maadi plays the lead role as Iman.
How was it growing up with an interest in film in Skellefteå?
– Making a film requires self-confidence, having the courage to turn things around and to dare to challenge and even expose yourself in the story. Film i Västerbotten did a lot for my cinematic self-confidence. They believed in me and are part of why I am where I am today. With a strong storytelling voice that wants to make films, which stay with you.
The Swedish Oscars Committee chose director Milad Alami's film 'Motståndaren'' as Sweden's candidate in the race for the Oscar for Best International Feature Film.
During an interview with Norran, in conjunction with the premiere of the film, Milad said that he hoped the film would make a lot of noise.
Has it made as much noise as you hoped?
– Haha, one always wishes for more noise. But I think so. We are very happy, proud, and honored to both represent Sweden for the Nordic Council Film Prize and to be Sweden's entry for the Oscars. 'Motståndaren' is a film that pushes the boundaries of what is seen as a Swedish film and these nominations encourage us to continue to challenge the medium, says Alami.
From the left, actor Marall Nasiri, director Milad Alami, and actor Ardalan Esmaili when the Swedish Oscars Committee presents Alami's film 'Motståndaren' as Sweden's candidate in the category for the Oscar for Best International Feature Film. The Swedish Film Institute announced the Swedish Oscar candidate at a press conference on Thursday.
What happens next?
On December 18, the first nominations will be announced, with 15 films chosen to move on to the next stage. On January 23 next year, that list will be narrowed down to five films that will ultimately be nominated for the Oscars in Hollywood on March 10.