AMP film

Sweden in the 1980s. The yuppie had emerged, we wore shoulder pads, and we did aerobics. The gay rights movement was on the rise, and the nightlife scene was beginning to flourish. Yet, there was a rumbling in the background. A previously unknown, deadly virus was spreading among gay men, and the medical community found itself helpless. This documentary interweaves unique archival footage with the voices of those who were there during the early days when HIV first arrived in Sweden.

Twelve years ago Anya and Zhenya had a daughter, Nadya. They were very young, and their life soon became a problem. Zhenya ended up in jail, and Anya and Nadya ended up living with Zhenyas family. During the twelve years that have passed, Anya has done quite a lot of changes in her own and Nadya’s life, some of them involving Zhenya. The first time Zhenya went to jail – for beating Anya – he didn’t have to stay that long. But the second time he was sentenced to four years, for rape. During most of the twelve years Anya has worked with Zhenyas mother in their shoemaker’s workshop. Zhenyas father, a retired policeman, has come and gone in the shop, taken care of his granddaughter, but also had a relationship with Anya. When Sasha, Zhenya’s father, beats Anya and ends up in prison, Anya finally leaves Zhenyas family.

In an undisclosed location in central Stockholm a sort of state of exception seems to be in effect. During night time, job seekers from different parts of the world live here. Daytime they share the place with workers, building the new Stockholm. The main character of the film Thomas, has for three years been sleeping in a rat infested spot under a loading bridge. Now he is not even allowed to stay there and is going to be evicted. He gives a passionate speech about dignity, human rights and his fight to live a worthy life and support his family. The film is also distributed as part of a mobile sculpture that will tour Sweden and Europe. —Erik Pauser

The Borneo Case is a unique story filmed over 25 years and tells the epic tale of how the rainforest, home of the last nomads was stripped of its natural resources. It reveals how billions of dollars of illegal profits solicited by the Chief Minister of Sarawak State in Malaysia were money laundered with the assistance of the largest global banks into offshore accounts and property portfolios all over the world. The case was labelled as the largest environmental crime of the century.