I gained a better understanding of how film and images shape our reality and view of life. And how movies can affect people psychologically, depending on the movie’s subject, positively or negatively. And that over 70% of our worldview comes from the media, not from real-life experience.
Background and Career
What inspired you to pursue a career in filmmaking?
I have always loved telling stories. When I was a child, I loved to paint. Painting animals and nature was often the main focus of my paintings, and this has somehow been reflected in most of my films as well. When I learned to read and write at the age of 7, I started writing my own short stories. Most of them were fantasies, adventures, or even horror stories. In 2005, I felt that I was mature enough to make my own short films. So I combined my interest in painting and writing with filmmaking.
Can you describe your journey from starting in 2005 to becoming an independent director?
When I started as an amateur filmmaker, I knew almost nothing about film and its rules. So the format of my first screenplay was terrible. At that time, I had just started high school and was studying media and film. The year before, I fought very hard to pass my main subjects (math, Swedish, and English) in elementary school so that I could study at a regular Swedish school. When I learned camera angles and different takes, that was the key to creating my first short film. And over time, I learned more and more specifically about screenwriting. So I created many short films. I was once criticized by an established professional film director. Why do I spend so much time creating so many short films, when I can make one or two very strong short films and be remembered for those works? My answer was that I don’t have the luxury of going to a film directing school anywhere, and therefore, every short film I make is my own film school. He may have been right, but as I wrote earlier, I have always had a drive to tell my stories. And that is what eventually led me to become an independent filmmaker.
How has living in Gothenburg influenced your work as a filmmaker?
Gothenburg and other cities in Sweden have beautiful nature and gardens all around them. And I have always loved being close to nature and exploring it. Sometimes I explore it in real life by taking a walk and sometimes I explore it in my films. So wherever there is nature and beauty, it always inspires me to be creative, either in filmmaking or other art forms.
Film Style and Themes
You have explored various genres. What draws you to poetic and feel-good movies in particular?
When I created my first short film, “The Revenge”, a horror/thriller film about revenge and murder, I remember my mother was not very happy to see me, my little brother, and my cousin killing each other in a film. At that time, I had no actors, so my brother and my cousin had to act in the film where I was brutally murdered. After that experience, I thought a lot about my mother’s reaction and therefore decided to change my style completely. I also felt that there are many filmmakers who are already making horror and violent films, and that I should do something opposite. Therefore, my next short film, “The Beautiful Flower, was a completely poetic love story. Now, 20 years later, I have not regretted that decision and also see the need for feel-good films everywhere in this dark world we live in today. Unfortunately, feel-good films may not be that popular among many people and filmmakers, but all this is a reflection of our dark society.
Can you tell us about the themes you often explore in your films?
The three main themes in my short films in the past years have been spirituality, humanity, and hope. Humanity has been the main theme in at least three of my films as a trilogy (thematically). “Humans” (2017) is a poetic short film that reflects on the dangerous journey of refugees through the Mediterranean to Europe. “The Great Human Crime” (2019) is an anti-war film inspired by Charlie Chaplin’s final speech in The Great Dictator. And now “Tree Of Peace” (2025) is a film about global peace that shows us the solution when we leave our ego and arrogance aside and see ourselves and the earth as a whole, and cooperate with each other.
Awards and Recognition
How did it feel to receive the “Award of Best Screenplay” at the Stockholm City Fil Festival?
The screenplay is the foundation of a film. Writing a good script is always difficult, and I think it is the most difficult and most important element in filmmaking. I have never considered myself a good screenwriter because I have already explained how bad the screenplays for my first films were. I was very shocked when I saw that “Tree Of Peace” had won for best screenpla,y and of course,e that made me very happy. I can admit that I put a lot more time and energy into writing the screenplay for this film than for my other short films. It took me almost 3 years before I started writing the screenplay for “Tree Of Peace”. Because I had difficulty finding a good, feasible story and a fitting plot.
I took a lot of notes about things I wanted to include in the film. Because one of the main genres of the film was sci-fi, where half of the film takes place 50 years in the future. So I couldn’t just write about anything and film anything. Because it was a low-budget film, I had a lot of limitations. So I removed a lot of ideas that were almost impossible for us to film. The thing that took the most time in the screenplay was developing the characters, both the ones you see in the film and the ones whose names you just hear their names in the film. Winning the award for best screenplay at the Stockholm City Film Festival gives me recognition and energy that my hard work on the screenplay was not in vain.
What does recognition from international film festivals mean to you as an independent filmmaker?
For us filmmakers, it’s all about getting recognition for our work. That’s the driving force behind everything we do. Because when we get recognition, we also get the attention of audiences at festivals.
Projects and Collaborations
What was your experience like working as a lighting supervisor and editor on other projects?
Working with light was very fun for me. It was something I discovered over time. Since the word cinematography means “writing with light”, film is all about lighting. Without light, there is no image, and therefore no film. How we use light has a crucial importance in visual storytelling. For me, it was like painting,g but in reality.
Editing is the final step in filmmaking, and all the hard work that a filmmaker has put in, it all now depends on the editor how the finished film will be cut.
Can you share any memorable moments from your work on “The Living Forest”?
The Living Forest is a movie that will always be in my heart. I think the best thing about that film was that we filmed in good and beautiful locations and in a cozy cabin. Thanks to our producer, Ulrika Redington, and also all the other crew who were very passionate about this project as well. A funny memory from that film was that I had to throw one of my cameramen (Enver Ramirez) out of the set because he had a bad cold and was making a lot of noises that ruined the sound. So I had to film myself.
Contributions to Film Community
What motivated you to organize the Gothenburg Indie Film Fest and the Bright Future Independent Film Festival?
We wanted to support filmmakers who talked about important topics like peace, friendship, the environment, human rights/animal rights, and, with the help of these films, inspire the audience to create a better society together.
How do you see these festivals contributing to the independent film community?
By showing their films, they were also able to inspire other young/independent filmmakers, and our festival was used as a platform for independent filmmakers to connect with each other. We also helped independent filmmakers reach out to audiences in our city, through film screenings and interviews, both physically and on the website.
Education and Learning
How did your master’s program at Valand Academy shape your approach to filmmaking?
I had a fantastic time at Valand Academy, or HDK Valand as it is now called. It allowed me to hang out with icons like Kalle Boman (producer, professor at Valand, and our teacher), Göran du Rées (director and professor at Valand), Ruben Östlund (director and professor at Valand), and Linda Sternö (producer and our teacher), and many more. When I was among these people, I realized how much I don’t know about filmmaking. So overall, it was very educational for me. It gave me a wider perspective on filmmaking and storytelling in general.
What skills or lessons from your education do you apply to your projects today?
I gained a better understanding of how film and images shape our reality and view of life. And how movies can affect people psychologically, depending on the movie’s subject, positively or negatively. And that over 70% of our worldview comes from the media, not from real-life experience.
My education at Valand gave me even more responsibility for what I wanted to film and show to the audience. I also used some of the information in my anti-war film “The Great Human Crime” (2019) about how the military uses war games to train its soldiers, and that there is no difference between real images and the games.
Future Aspirations
What upcoming projects are you excited about, and what can audiences expect from them?
I have many big feature film projects in mind, some documentaries, and some fiction. But I can only work on them if I get funding from the Swedish Film Institute with the help of an established producer.
Where do you see yourself and your work in the next five years?
Predicting my own future is scary for me. That’s why I don’t dare say much about it. But I hope that I have directed the feature films that I dream of and that they are shown in cinemas throughout the country and also abroad.
