Director Lindgren Films 'The Flag' on Sweden Democrats' Rise

Director Michael Lindgren is currently filming "Flaggan" (The Flag), a movie set against the backdrop of the historic 2010 election night when the Sweden Democrats (SD) first entered the Swedish parliament. The film, however, is a fictional narrative centered on two jubilant young Sweden Democrats assigned the task of hoisting a massive Swedish flag in the Rinkeby square.

Lindgren, known for his work on influential programs like "Svenska nyheter" and "Herr Talman," has harbored the idea for "Flaggan" for years. He recalls witnessing the anti-SD demonstrations on Sergels Torg the day after the 2010 election, an event he found "rather detached from reality," as he and others following politics closely were not surprised by SD's electoral success. The film's production involves a dedicated team, including producers Rebecka Lafrenz and a film crew, who work through the night in challenging weather conditions, fostering a strong sense of group cohesion.

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People were crying and were shocked and surprised. I thought even then that it was quite detached from reality. For those of us who followed politics, it was not a surprise at all that SD got in.

Despite the film's subject matter and Lindgren's past involvement in controversial media projects, he insists "Flaggan" is not intended as a political statement. While acknowledging that the film contains criticism of the Sweden Democrats, he asserts that it also critiques the left. Lindgren's primary aim, he explains, is to satirize hypocrisy in all its forms, rather than to advance a specific party-political agenda. The film is scheduled for release two weeks before the upcoming election.

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There is criticism of SD in the film, but there is also criticism of the left. I have no party-political agenda. However, I mock hypocrisy in all its forms and try to...