Roland Hassel

Swedish prime minister Olaf Palme was assassinated in 1986. The detective series Hassel – a precursor to Wallander and the Millenium trilogy – began the same year. In his feature debut, Måns Månsson interweaves these historic events to create an inventive mix of fiction and documentary.
Retired detective Roland Hassel re-emerges for one last job: to solve the murder of Olaf Palme. Hassel rounds up his (not all equally competent) assistants to re-examine every tiny detail and re-play all the cards.
The investigation turns into an exciting hunt that exudes the tacky atmosphere of the 1980s. The film looks like a faded VHS tape, with Lars-Erik Berenett, the original TV Hassel, shining in the lead role. Månsson re-opens a wound in the Swedish psyche with a reflective film that is both funny and serious. Putting Hassel on the Palme case is like calling in Columbo to investigate the murder of JFK.