Mika Gustafson’s social drama Paris Is Burning has won the top prize for best film at the Guldbagge Awards, Sweden’s top film honors.
The feature, which premiered in Venice’s Horizons section this year, follows three sisters who left to their own devices by their absent mother, live a life of anarchic freedom. But when social services come calling, the oldest has to find someone to impersonate their mum to avoid being shipped off to foster care. It was picked as the best Swedish film of the past year at the Guldbagge Awards ceremony in Stockholm on Monday night. Paris is Burning also scooped the Guldbagge for best set design for Catharina Nyqvist Ehrnrooth.
But the night’s big winner was Axel Petersén’s Shame on Dry Land. The neo-noir set in the world of online gamblers picked up 7 Guldbagge awards, including for best director and best actor for lead Joel Spira, as well as taking most of the technical honors. The feature, which premiered in Toronto, was not nominated in the best film category.
Best actress honors went to Marall Nasiri for her starring role in Opponent, Milad Alami’s drama about a family who flee Iran for Northern Sweden. Lukas Moodysson picked up the best screenplay prize for his script to Together 99, a sequel to his 2000 crossover hit Together about life in a Swedish commune. Together 99 also won best supporting actress for co-star Anja Lundqvist.
Full list of the 2023 Guldbagge Awards below.
BEST FILMParadise is BurningProducer: Nima Yousefi
BEST DIRECTORAxel Petersénfor Shame On Dry Land
BEST ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLEMarall Nasirifor Maryam in Opponent
BEST ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLEJoel Spirafor Dimman in Shame On Dry Land
BEST ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLEAnja Lundqvistfor Lena in Together 99
BEST ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLEChristopher Wagelinfor Fredrik in Shame On Dry Land
BEST SCREENPLAYLukas Moodyssonfor Together 99
BEST EDITINGRobert Krantzfor Shame On Dry Land
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHYJosua Enblomfor Shame On Dry Land
BEST SOUND DESIGNAndreas Franckfor Shame On Dry Land
BEST ORIGINAL SCOREBaba Stiltzfor Shame On Dry Land
BEST VISUAL EFFECTSNora Berecoechea and Stefan Ryckenfor The Abyss
BEST COSTUME DESIGNKaren Fabritius Gram and Pierre Vieningsfor Hammarskjöld
BEST SET DESIGNCatharina Nyqvist Ehrnroothfor Paradise is Burning
BEST MAKEUPTove Jansson, Eva von Bahr and Love Larsonfor The Conference
BEST SHORT FILMLeilaDirected by Fariba Haidari
BEST DOCUMENTARY FILMThe Gullspång MiracleDirected by Maria Fredriksson
THE GULDBAGGE AUDIENCE AWARD Beck – InfernoProduced by Francy Suntinger
GULLSPIRA – for extraordinary contributions in films for childrenInger Nilsson, actress
THE AWARD OF HONOUR (HEDERSGULDBAGGEN)Marie Göranzon, actress