Fucking Åmål

A movie from Sweden which was very popular there around Christmas of 1998.

I was in Stockholm for a day with nothing to do because my train connection didn't leave until 22:00, and I went to see this film. It was a cold day and I was feeling desolate and alone, and after it got dark I went to a cinema. A girl I had met some weeks ago had recommended the film to me, so I chose it. Of course, it's a Swedish film, and I don't speak Swedish, but I decided it would still be fun.

And, well, I think maybe my reaction to it was more a product of my own mental state at the time, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. It's about a small, nasty town called Amal (well, actually with those little circles over the Ås (thus: Åmål), so technically spelt Aamaal I think) and high-school life there, with a central plot of two young lesbians and their social struggles.

I had imagined that I would never hear about the film outside Sweden, but here I sit in Cambridge, UK and I just read in the paper that it opened two days ago in a local indie cinema. Presumably with subtitles this time :). But strangely I feel unwilling to re-watch it. Too many associations with the infinite; if you will, the oblivion of northern Scandinavia, which I found to be quite powerful.

This film was, not surprisingly, re-titled to "Show Me Love" for the relatively prudish English-speaking market.

It starred Alexandra Dahlstrom and Rebecca Liljeberg.

"Jag elska Elin!" (did I get that right?)

No, but close - it's "Jag älskar Elin!" - thanks Tiefling and liveforever.

Thats 'Jag älskar Elin!', jimbeam. :-) It sounds basically the same, but your spelling is more like Norwegian. I too saw this film, and really enjoyed it. I was glad that it was subtitled and not dubbed, since it gave me an opportunity to hear the beautiful Swedish language spoken. I found much to associate with in this film, for a whole variety of reasons. Åmål is pronounced Awmaul, for English-speakers. Lukas Moodysson directs, in his acclaimed debut.

And I didn't know this was the original name of the movie (although it's a common refrain within it) until I recognised the place-name in a soft-link from a nodeshell. The film was not filmed in Åmål at all, but in Trollhättan.

When I visited Amsterdam in February of this year, I saw posters for this movie with both titles, so that it appeared to be called "Fucking Amal, Show Me Love". Makes sense to me, as the Netherlands are roughly halfway between Scandanavia and England both geographically and culturally. That's a good name--it sounds like a passionate plea to a woman who you love even though she drives you crazy. Not to mention that it would be an excellent name for a rock band.

The movie is about a girl called Agnes (Rebecca Liljeberg), who has just moved to Amal and is a newcomer, and therefore a loner, in her school. She is in love with Elin (Alexandra Dahlström). When het 16th birthday comes round, her mother insists on having a party, even though Agnes is sure no one will come. However, Elin turns up in a fit of absolute boredom (after having found out that even lots of paracetamol does NOT make you high), and, on a dare from her sister, kisses Agnes... and falls in love, of course.

After some confusion (Elin gets into a relationship with dull Johan Hulth (Mathias Rust) because she refuses to deal with her lesbian feelings, then finds out that's not what she wants after all), everything ends very romantically.

The film was written and directed by Lukas Moodysson.

What I hear is that the film was retitled because it actually missed a film festival when U.S. customs refused to let it through. Obviously any movie that has the F-word in the title MUST be pr0n...