Sweden’s Jens Jonsson will direct The Doctrine, a political thriller series adapted from Magnus Montelius’ novel Eight Months.
Jonsson has credits including series Young Wallander and Blinded, and films Easy Money III and Sundance award-winner The King Of Ping Pong.
The novel, published in 2019, presented a then-far-fetched idea that Sweden would join NATO; given world events, the premise is now eerily contemporary.
Erik Mangusson of Anagram Sweden produces.
Backers are TV4/Cmore, Anagram, Film i Vast, Aurora Studios and Beside Productions. With support from Nordic Film&TV Fund and investment from Finnish Impact Film Fund, Newen Connect will handle international distribution. Newen Connect handles international distribution.
The 6×24′ series will start shooting in late March for a 2024 launch.
Jonsson said the series was a spy thriller about “how Russia could infiltrate Swedish politics.” He added that he hopes it will feel “very contemporary, very tense and portraying things as realistically as possible. Not looking down at characters, but looking eye level perspective on cold war politics.”
The cast will feature Anna Sise, Josefine Nelden and August Wittgenstein.
The project was unveiled in Berlin at a Film i Vast presentation.
Other projects
Other new Film i Vast backings include family sequel Hakan Brakan 2, directed by Ted Kjellsson and produced by Malin Soderlund of Unlimited Stories, with the sequel focused on a scouting adventure for the kids. It will shoot from April for a holiday season launch.
Greek director Alexandros Avranas, best known for festival hit Miss Violence, is plotting Apathy, to be produced by Olivier Guerpillon for Fox in the Snow and Alejandro Arenas of Les Films du Worso.
Cast confirmed so far include Grigoriy Dobrygin and Chulpan Khamatova; a high-profile Swedish cast will be unveiled later. The story is about a family of political asylum seekers fleeing Russia to seek asylum in Sweden. One of the girls is thrown into Resignation Syndrome after her asylum application is rejected. “It’s not about asylum, it’s about the power of love to save this family. Guerpillon stated that there is real light and hope in the movie. The film is also co-produced with Germany, Estonia, and Greece. It has Eurimages support.
Swedish regional funding powerhouse Film i Vast, was celebrating seven of its co-productions at Berlinale 2023:
Opponent; And The King Said, What a Fantastic Machine; Family Time;Do You Love Me? ; Heroico; Gosta Petter-land and Madden.Berlin 2023: Screen’s dailies
