Directed by Mark Cousins
Picturehouse, Liverpool
16th – 25th June 2017

Reviewed by Colin Serjent

Following his highly impressive I Am Belfast director Mark Cousins has come up trumps again with Stockholm, My Love.

Regarded by some as a move from documentary to drama, his latest venture still retains the surreal and dreamlike essence of his previous creations.

As in celebrating Belfast in his previous film, Stockholm, My Love, as the title implies, is a warm and sincere tribute to the capital of Sweden, celebrating its rich beauty in terms of its notable architecture and the wonder of its nature-based locations.

The principal character is Neneh Cherry, making her acting debut, as the architect Alva. A year or so after killing an elderly dog walker in a road accident she roams around Stockholm seeking some form of redemption for the tragedy. She endlessly reflects, particularly on her relationship with her father, who was a migrant to the city.

Cherry herself was born in Sweden and her late father was an African migrant. Cherry and Alva almost juxtapose each other in regard to their past lives and future hopes and aspirations.

The film mixes together images captured on previous visits to Stockholm by cinematographer Christopher Doyle, experimenting with light and movement.

The music soundtrack is very diverse, including new jazz-based material by Cherry, as well as contributions by Benny Andersson from ABBA and impressive romantic classical pieces by Franz Berwald.

I loved Stockholm, My Love!