The Here After

The inhabitants of the rural Swedish community in which The Here After is set are not talkative. Yet their reticence cannot hide the fact that the arrival of John, a teenager returning from an institution to his parents' farm, reawakens memories of an unpleasant time. What is not said finds an outlet in other ways: a furious woman attacks John in the supermarket and his classmates give him a far-from-hearty welcome. With one exception: John’s position as the black sheep of the class arouses the interest of Malin, a newcomer.
The calm images, sopped in cool blue, by cameraman Lukasz Zal (Ida) reflect the unaffected way in which John faces all the animosity. But as the aggressive tension around him grows, the new start John was hoping for seems to get further away. Frustration grows and confrontation seems inevitable.