Milad Alami's migration drama "Motståndaren" has garnered attention beyond its nomination by the Swedish Oscar committee; it also represents Sweden in the 2023 Nordic Council Film Prize.
How does it feel to be one of the three candidates who could be Sweden's contribution to an Oscar for Best International Film?
– It's very exciting to be among the nominees and great that the film is receiving this kind of attention. It's also fun to be listed alongside the other films, Paradiset Brinner and Tillsammans 99, which are so good.
In an interview with Norran at the time of the film's premiere, Milad said he was hoping the film would make a lot of noise.
Has it made as much noise as you hoped?
– Ha, one always wishes for more noise. But I think so. It's done well and has been sold to several countries. But then again, when you're in filmmaking, you're never quite satisfied enough to feel done. My wish for this film was for it to get out into the world. Even if it doesn't win the Palme d'Or or an Oscar, it has found a place in the Scandinavian context.
Milad's migration drama "Motståndaren" is also Sweden's representative for the Nordic Council Film Prize 2023. It competes for the award against, among others, the Norwegian film "Krigsseileren" and the Finnish "Kupla".
– We are very happy, proud, and honored to both represent Sweden for the Nordic Council Film Prize this year and be one of the three candidates for the Oscars. "Motståndaren" is a film that pushes the boundaries of what is considered Swedish cinema, and these nominations encourage us to continue challenging the medium of film, says Milad.
Motståndaren" made its debut at the Berlin Film Festival in January of this year.
The film "Motståndaren" is a psychological drama where we meet the 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 comes to a snow-laden refugee camp in northern Sweden. Here, his secret is neither punishable nor particularly shameful, but it could shatter his family.
Milad wrote the screenplay for the film incredibly quickly, perhaps because he himself has experienced the pain that comes with fleeing one's homeland.
– 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.
Milad Alami is the director of the film "Motståndaren." The film tells the story of an Iranian asylum seeker and wrestler who comes to Sweden and finds renewed purpose in life when he resumes his athletic career.
When will you find out if you will be Sweden's Oscar nominee?
– In a few weeks. I don't expect to be nominated. The other nominees are Lukas Moodysson and Mika Gustafson who seem so good. But I am happy to be a part of this. Although of course I think we should win. It's a good quality as a director to have delusions of grandeur. That's how I usually think when I start a film project, that now we're going to make a film that will be one of the top ten films of all time.
Unrealistic thoughts, says Milad, laughing out loud.