Paradise Is Burning

In a working-class neighborhood in Sweden, three sisters—16-year-old Laura, 12-year-old Mira, and 7-year-old Steffi—live on their own. Their irresponsible mother, whom we never see on screen, has gone missing again, but the girls are not particularly worried. They have long established their own sisterly community with its own rules (for example, dishes can remain unwashed, but attending school on time is a must) and a well-developed system for shoplifting groceries. The heroines, intoxicated by the euphoria of complete freedom and the hot summer days, start breaking into other people’s houses just for fun. Their joyful daily routine in this small mischievous kingdom continues—until one day, when social services announce their plan to visit. Laura, the eldest, must secretly devise a plan to find someone who will agree to pose as their mother. The most obvious candidate is their mysterious new acquaintance and partner in crime, Hanna (Ida Engvoll from "A Man Called Ove").

Original language: Swedish

Subtitles: Belarusian | English