Introduction
Fucking Åmål 5-year-anniversary 2003!
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Poster montaged at Filmstaden Sergel October 1, 1998. |
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Poster montaged at Filmstaden Söder October 7, 1998. |
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Poster montaged at Rigoletto October 2, 1998. |
This introduction was written October 23, 2003. The film that started it all – Fucking Åmål – unbelievably turns 5 years today! October 23, 1998 was the theatrical release date in Sweden, followed by an extraordinary tour around the world nobody had expected. The filmmakers (director Lukas Moodysson and his team at Memfis Film) thought this film would only be released in Sweden – and hardly that, since it was very hard to get funding – that's one of the reasons it's partly financed from Danish sources. Lukas Moodysson had never made a feature film before, and nobody knew what to expect. But after everyone could see the results and the big box office success in Sweden this was all brought to shame. Norway came out next spring 1999, and the film became just as big here. Fucking Åmål reached top 2 in both countries. Outside Scandinavia the film has mainly been a silent independent success, but the fans there are even more enthusiastic. In some European countries like Switzerland it even entered the top 10 in cinemas, while the marketing in most countries usually was more or less non-existing as opposed to the massive media attention it received here (more than for most Hollywood films). Needless to say, this lead to that the film didn't get the audience it deserved in many countries. In some countries (especially English-speaking ones) the distributors were very small and often aimed the film mainly at a gay/ lesbian audience. Even though the film is very popular especially among lesbians this is certainly a film that reaches a lot wider audience – the box office success in Sweden and Norway proves just that.
This site started as a "small" one-page-review in Norwegian spring 2000 that over time developed into a complete site – in both English and Norwegian (sortof). Even today I got an e-mail from another fan that just discovered the film and enjoyed reading this review. When I first put the review online in Norwegian back in spring 2000 it didn't take long before I got mails from non-English-speaking visitors who wanted a translation of the review. The webmasters of the first fan-sites that popped up around 1998 (most of them are still online) had gotten tired and I saw the need for a fresh new Fucking Åmål site. Over the years the site has naturally been developed to be about all Lukas Moodysson's films – and the actors that play in them. One of the most frequent questions I got was where to buy merchandise from Fucking Åmål and other related films (mainly Swedish). In the beginning I refered to other shops, but it turned out that this often confused people and I also realised that a good webshop for these products aimed at an international market didn't really exist – so that is what you get now both at showmelove.org and nordicdvd.com – an almost dead site I decided to use as a supplement so showmelove.org didn't loose it's track. Like you understand, without input and support from all faithful visitors and buyers this would never have been possible :). So thanks!
In the coming weeks I hope to focus more on Fucking Åmål. The varius pages related to the film will be re-organized (hopefully for the better), receive a make-over and even more stuff will be added! But first of all, check out the wealth of information that is already here, maybe hidden away in strange places of the site you've never looked ;). My recommended order of reading would be the Fucking Åmål page, the review, the webshop, the media content (international posters, trailers and more) and links. If you're interested in the main stars Rebecka Liljeberg and Alexandra Dahlström there is a lot information about their other projects aswell (look in the sections "more from the same cast & crew"). There is unfortunately not much about the rest of the cast & crew, but this will hopefully be improved soon. One of the reasons is that there's not that much available (except for the adult actors of course).
Synopsis
Short synopsis (official)
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Swedish Poster |
In a small town called Åmål, Elin (Alexandra Dahlstrom) and her high school friends are part of the "in-crowd." Elin is the school debutante, she is popular and all the coolest girls want to be her best friend, and she is the rage of all the boys on campus. Agnes (Rebecca Liljeberg) is not part of the "in-crowd," she is considered an outcast. Young and pretty, but unconcerned of her social status, Agnes is getting ready for a birthday party she doesn't really want that is being planned by her parents. Nothing much happens in the small town of Åmål...
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Alexandra Dahlstöm (Elin) and Rebecka Liljeberg (Agnes). |
until Elin accidentally goes to the wrong party and her life takes a new direction. On a dare, Elin kisses Agnes to see if Agnes really is a "lesbian" and her life is transformed. Elin discovers that she has been repressing something that was innately there all the time. This is the story of two girls, Elin and Agnes, who fall in love. It is a contemporary tale of longing, the joy and pain of being in love, the comical and heartbreaking aspects of growing up and the courage it takes to be different. It is a universal of love and understanding.
Review
A fantastic story about youth, love and life...
Wednesday March 8, 2000: Without very high expectations I sit down to watch a video tape I've loaned from the library for some days already. I know it's a Swedish film about a lesbian and a dull place called Åmål. I know that many people like the film. I know it's just been released on DVD - and that's primarily how I got interested in watching it. Well, the rest is history. Read more...
Cast & Crew
Director Lukas Moodysson, producer Lars Jönsson and their team at Memfis Film joined great filmmakers and actors to create what was to become their first masterpiece. Alexandra Dahlström and Rebecka Liljeberg plays the leading parts of the film.
Director Lukas Moodysson
Lukas Moodysson was born in 1969. He published poems at age seventeen, followed by several collections of poetry and a novel. Educated at Dramatiska Instituttet, the National Filmschool of Sweden, where he made his first short films. Among them ?Shadow in the Underworls? which received an award at the Student filmfestival in Munich. The short film ?Talk? was his first out of filmschool (1997) and has been sold to a number of countries. ?Fucking Åmål? is his first feature film.
Lukas Moodysson lives in Malmö in the south of Sweden with his wife Coco and two children. Read more in the biography.
Producer Lars Jönsson/ Memfis Film
Fucking Åmål has been produced by Lars Jönsson for Memfis Film, a small Stockholm-based film producer. Memfis has the latest ten years been behind several of the biggest Scandinavian film successes: Änglagård (Colin Nutley), Fucking Åmål, Tillsammans (Lukas Moodysson), Jalla! Jalla! (Josef Fares) - and more. Lars Jönsson was even exekutive producer for Lars von Trier's Cannes-honoured Breaking the waves and Dancer in the Dark. At the moment (autumm 2002) is Memfis producing Josef Fares' upcoming feature film that will get theatrical release in Sweden in February 2003. Memfis upcoming co-productions are among others Lars von Trier's Dogville, Sergei Bodrov's Bear's Kiss and Thomas Vinterberg's It's all about love. The co-operation with Lukas Moodysson started with the short film Bara prata lite in 1997. Selected filmography: Änglagård (Colin Nutley), Fucking Åmål (Lukas Moodysson), Breaking the waves (Lars von Trier, exekutiv producent), Hela Härligheten (Leif Magnusson), Lucky People (Center International, Johan Söderberg & Erik Pauser), Tillsammans (Lukas Moodysson), Harry & Sonja (Björn Runge), Den Bästa Sommaren (Ulf Malmros), Dancer in the Dark (Lars von Trier, co-exekutiv producent), Jalla! Jalla! (Josef Fares), Hundhotellet (Per Åhlin), Tranceformer (Stig Björkman), Fucking Åmål (Lukas Moodysson). Short films including Lukas Moodysson's Bara prata lite, Reza Parsa's Tigerhjärta and Baker Karim's Malcolm. Most of these films are of course available on DVD and VHS, available to order directly from this site. There will also be more information about some of these films soon.
Media
You'll find a lot of media content related to the film in the Media Gallery.
Soundtrack
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Soundtrack |
Lukas Moodysson and his team chose a great soundtrack that emphazised the strenght of the film. The CD release is unfortunately no longer available.
Track listing: 1) Önskelista (Wish list), 2) Drifter - Yvonne, 3) Whirlwind - Broder Daniel,
4) Varför måste vi bo i fucking jävla kuk-Åmål? (Why do we have to live in fucking, bloody dick-Åmål?),
5) No Dinero No Amor - Betty N' Boop, 6) Jag vill knarka! (I want to get high!), 7) Blue Sky Black - Evelyn,
8) Sa hon det? (Did she say that?),
9) När vi två blir en («When we two become one») - Gyllene Tider,
10) Jag vill inte va' med henne! (I don't want to be with her!),
11) U Drive Me Crazy - Waldo's People,
12) Fan va du är snygg! (You're just so cute!),
13) Fantasy Dreamworld - Combayah,
14) Fantasi för elorgel #34 («Fantasy for el-organ #34») - Karl-Heinz Clockmann,
15) Adagio per flauto; Archi ed organo - Gunilla Von Bahr & Stockholms kammarensemble,
16) Vi är så jävla coola! (We're so fucking cool!),
17) I want to Know What Love Is - Foreigner,
18) Funny Bunny Boy - Evelyn,
19) Hallå!? (Hello!?),
20) Danny's Dream - Lars Gullin,
21) I'll Be Gone - Broder Daniel,
22) Jävla Lebb! (Fucking cunt!),
23) Simplicity - Souls,
24)...vi skal gå och knulla! (...we're going to fuck!),
25) Underground - Broder Daniel,
26) O'BOY!,
27) Show Me Love - Robyn
Release Dates
Worldwide Theatrical Release Dates
Worldwide Festival Release Dates
| Country | Festival | Date |
| USA | Outfest '99 | 1999 |
| USA | San Francisco Gay and Lesbian Film Festival | 1999 |
Awards and Nominations
Wherever Fucking Åmål has been shown it's been acclaimed both by critics and audience.
Awards
| Award(s) | Occassion | Country | Date |
| Best Film, Best Female Lead Part, Best Director, Best Screenplay | Swedish Film Awards | Sweden | February 1999 |
Nominations
| Nomination(s) | Occassion | Date |
| Best Foreign-language Film | Swedish Oscar Selection | 1999 |
| Best Film, Best Female Lead Part, Best Director, Best Screenplay | Swedish Film Awards | February 1999 |
All photos: Ulf Brantås/ Memfis Film AB. Please note: This is an unofficial site not affiliated with Memfis Film, Lukas Moodysson or any other people or companies involved in the production of the film.
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