If there's one thing the Swedes are good at, it's making films that really get to you. This mini-series is one such example. The early days of AIDS in Stockholm are the subject, shown through a group of young gay men who lose their lives one by one. Their social stigmatisation by the church and relatives is also thematised; the cruelty of rejection towards people who are simply looking for support and love becomes a martyrdom that some can only escape by committing suicide. So much for the fiction and when I look back on my post-adolescence, which roughly coincides with this time, I can confirm that the mood, insecurities and despair have been excellently captured. You can't accuse director Simon Kaijser of going too heavy on the tear ducts here, because the fate of the young men won't leave anyone cold. And death is cruel in its mercilessness, that much is clear once again. The almost 3 hours flew by for me and I often found myself fighting back tears. For all gay men under 40 who have not lived through these times, the series should be made compulsory viewing. Maybe then they will be a bit more humble and less hedonistic.
