In a working-class area of Sweden, sisters Laura (16), Mira (12) and Steffi (7), get by on their own, left to their own devices by their absent mother. With summer on the way and no parents around, life is wild and carefree, vivacious and anarchic. But when social services call a meeting, Laura has to find someone to impersonate their mother, or the girls will be taken into foster care and separated. Laura keeps the threat a secret, so as not to worry her younger sisters. But as the moment of truth draws closer, new tensions arise, forcing the three sisters to negotiate the fine line between the euphoria of total freedom and the harsh realities of growing up.

The Garden Cinema View:

The structure of Paradise is Burning is so loose that the complex process of directing feels almost arbitrary. Yet, it is remarkably precise in its presentation of the complicated dynamics between three underage sisters as they grapple with their abandonment by their mother. Ultimately, the film observes women at different stages of their lives, from childhood, to preteen years, to late adolescence, motherhood, and older aunthood, sensitively highlighting their conflicts and camaraderie with honesty and humour.

Paradise is Burning also serves as an unconventional representation of Sweden - often depicted as a social welfare haven. Yet in this case, these children have fallen through the cracks of the system (although admittedly, their estate house looks significantly better than the UK equivalent).

As the script does not firmly commit to any specific arc, the characters and relationships grow organically, without resorting to the heavy-handed melodrama occasionally encountered in social realist cinema. The exceptional performances by the non-actor children contribute to the power of the film, which deservedly won best debut feature awards at the Venice and London film festivals.

Cast:
Bianca Delbravo, Dilvin Asaad, Safira Mossberg