Marianne | |
---|---|
![]() Teaser poster
|
|
Directed by | Filip Tegstedt |
Produced by |
Filip Tegstedt Alexandra Malmqvist |
Screenplay by | Filip Tegstedt |
Starring |
Peter Stormare Thomas Hedengran Dylan M. Johansson Tintin Anderzon Viktoria Sätter Sandra Larsson |
Music by | Mikael Junehag |
Release date
|
|
Country | Sweden |
Language | Swedish |
Budget | $150,000 |
Marianne is a 2011 Swedish horror film, written and directed by Filip Tegstedt, that premiered at the 2011 Fantasia International Film Festival on 2 August 2011.Thomas Hedengran plays a father who is plagued by guilt over the death of his wife.
The film is set in the town of Östersund, in the Jämtland region to the north of Sweden, and focuses on the mental state of Krister, a man who is left to raise a newborn baby whilst coping with a teenage daughter who blames him for the recent death of his wife. In the midst of his psychological turmoil, Krister suffers from terrible nightmares and becomes convinced that his troubles may be the work of a Mare that is haunting him.
Filip Tegstedt has commented in numerous interviews that he wanted to make a film that explores Swedish folklore surrounding the concept of the Mare, traditionally thought to be responsible for the contemporary medical phenomenon of sleep paralysis. This is a condition where patients report waking up paralyzed, unable to move, whilst feeling a presence in the room like someone is watching them. The paralysis often comes with the sense of a heavy weight on their chest that makes it difficult to breathe.
Contributing to the development of this film was a reaction against the funding priorities of the Swedish Film Institute. Tegstedt has remarked that part of the reason why there are no good horror films in Sweden is that horror films are seen to be, culturally speaking, a lower class of film, less deserving of funding. In reaction to this perceived genre hierarchy, Tegstedt decided to liquidate all his assets in order to finance the production of Marianne and take a high interest loan.
While other producers also offered to finance his debut feature, they were only willing to do this on the condition that Marianne was filmed in . Filip felt that a key part of the story was the northern location of Östersund, and the fact that it was his hometown, and that he wanted the film to be as authentic to his vision as possible.
Tegstedt has remarked that the marketing strategy depends on getting press and acceptance in film festivals.