Paradise Is Burning

Friday, August 23 - Thursday, September 5, 2024

Thursday, August 22 at 7:00 p.m.: Sneak preview + Q&A with director Mika Gustafson

Friday, August 23 & Saturday, August 24 at 7:15 p.m.: Q&A with director Mika Gustafson

Gustafson’s acclaimed feature debut centers on three sisters – sixteen-year-old Laura, twelve-year-old Mira, and seven-year-old Steffi – who are left to their own devices by their absent mother. As summer approaches, they revel in the excitement of freedom, letting their days unfold without the constraints of adult supervision. However, when Laura receives a call that threatens to place them in foster care, she frantically searches for a substitute mother to avoid this fate. Keeping the truth hidden from her younger sisters, Laura navigates the blurred lines between the thrill of independence and the harsh realities of growing up, as the sisters’ relationships with each other are put to the test.

Best Director (Horizons), Venice Film Festival

Best First Feature, BFI London Film Festival

Official selection: Toronto International Film Festival

 

• Country Sweden, Italy, Denmark, Finland
• Language Swedish with English Subtitles
• Running Time 108 minutes
• Format DCP
• Distributor 385
• Director Mika Gustafson
• Cast Bianca Delbravo, Dilvin Asaad, Safira Mossberg, Ida Engvoll
• Accessibility Assistive Listening, T-Coil

IFC Center does not generally provide advisories about subject matter or potentially triggering content in films, as sensitivities vary from person to person. In addition to the synopses, trailers and other links on our website, further information about content and age-appropriateness for specific films can be found on Common Sense Media, IMDb and DoesTheDogDie.com as well as through general internet searches.