In a working-class region of Sweden, sisters Laura (16), Mira (12), and Steffi (7) fend for themselves, because of their absent mother. With summer approaching, life is wild and carefree, lively and anarchic. But when social services call a meeting, Laura has to find someone to imitate their mother or the girls will be separated and taken into foster care. Laura keeps the threat a secret, so as not to worry her younger sisters.
Mika Gustafson’s first film is all about the immediate sensations of its characters, and she shows remarkable finesse in both her writing and her vision. In constant motion, the young girls she follows express the exhilaration of youth as well as the major upheavals of adult life.
“Paradise is Burning is a celebration of childhood spirit. Or, more specifically, girlhood.”
Georgia May high on films 20/10/2023
Orizzonti Award for the Best Director, Best Screenwriting, Venice Film Festival 2023, 2023, it
Kalediskope, Hamburg International FF 2023, 2023, de
Kaleidoscope, Hamburg International Film Festival 2023, 2023, de
Best Film, Best Production Design, Guldbagge Awards, 2024, se
Mika Gustafson
Born in Sweden in 1988, Mika Gustafson graduated from the Valand Film Academy in 2016. That same year, she was awarded the Nordic Talents Prize in Copenhagen. Her graduation film Mephobia went on to win several awards, as did her documentary Silvana, which won the National Awards for Best Documentary in 2017. She subsequently held her own exhibition at the Centre d’Art Contemporain in Geneva. Paradise is Burning is her first feature film.
