Film: A Nearly Normal Family | RIGA IFF Collection

At the Sigulda DEVONS Cultural Centre, we are presenting films from the Riga International Film Festival Collection. On 12 November at 19:00, see Alex Schulman’s film *A Nearly Normal Family*.

An undeniable festival hit, this dark comedy-drama by Swedish director Schulman will make you laugh and give you goosebumps. In unexpected situations, characters played by Gustaf Skarsgård, Fares Fares—known as the George Clooney of the North—and Linus Wahlgren will come face to face with… responsibility.

The fathers of three teenage girls—Bill, Bobo and Pontus—join their children’s class trip to an isolated archipelago as chaperones. Although the parents, children and camp staff all have the best intentions, some situations simply cannot be foreseen. Tensions between generations rise quickly, and everyone’s patience begins to wear thin. As resentment and memories intermingle, the parents become children again, while the children want to play at being adults. Soon, no one can tell who is in charge—and who is in danger.

A reunion of middle-aged men with their youth and adolescence, full of unpredictable turns, as they get to know their children and themselves anew. What does modern parenthood look like from an adult’s point of view, when children know their rights? Schulman’s verdict: not very good.

Bringing together some of Sweden’s best-known actors, the director analyses a microcosm of society through the lens of social anthropology, while retaining a light touch, the energy of Nordic cinema and a sharp eye. The isolated rocky landscape becomes a “Hunger Games” arena, swept by the wisdom of Thomas Vinterberg’s *Another Round* (2020). Sweden’s submission for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film promises an innocent sitcom, but soon fools even the most critical intellectuals.

Curator’s note: Fusing the provocative spirit of *Lord of the Flies* and Östlund’s films, Schulman explores the friction points in the psychological dynamic between parents and children with a slightly dark sense of relish.