Before the Storm (2000)

A Middle Eastern taxi driver living in Sweden, alongside his daughter's classmate, finds his life descending into chaos, terrorism and the demons of his past.

Director:

Reza Parsa

Writers:

Mikael Bengtsson, Reza Parsa

Stars:

Per Graffman, Maria Lundqvist, Sasha Becker

3 wins & 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Per Graffman	...	Ali
Maria Lundqvist	...	Alis fru
Sasha Becker	...	Sara
Anni Ececioglu	...	Saras storasyster (as Anni Egecioglu)
Emil Odepark	...	Leo
Tintin Anderzon	...	Leos mamma
Christer Fant	...	Leos pappa
Eric Lager	...	Lillebror
Nasrin Pakkho	...	Den kvinnliga kuriren
Caweh Passereh	...	Kurirens barnbarn
Mina Azarian	...	Alis förra fru
Ashkan Ghods	...	Alis son
César Sarachu	...	Gisslantagare (as Cesar Sarachu)
Reza Shojanyan	...	Gisslantagare (as Reza Shojaiyan)
Naser Ghofranifar	...	Gisslantagare

Storyline

This is a story of a disturbed normal life. In other words, it is a story that fear transforms the lives of the characters almost to destroy them. Ali is a man who comes from the Middle East. Lives in Sweden, is a taxi driver and has two daughters. Leo is an unassuming boy classmate of one of his daughters. Both will live in parallel a descent into hell when fear is installed in their lives and consumes them from within. In the case of Ali, through a message that sends memories to a distant past as a terrorist he thought he had finally escaped; in the case of Leo, when a series of unfortunate coincidences lead him to shoot another boy who constantly torments him. Both characters have to face their fears or succumb to it.

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Plot Keywords:

kidnapping | father son relationship | action hero | biker | car chase | 

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

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Did You Know?

Trivia

Reza Parsa's directorial film debut.

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Connections

References The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)

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Soundtracks

Eruas me
Music and Lyrics Composed by Peter Lundbäck
Performed by Gothenburg Session Orchestra
Orchestra conductor: Jerker Johansson
Choral conductor: Peter Lundbäck
Sung by Göteborgs Kammarkör

User Reviews

A tense drama about different levels of bullying and whether violence in reaction can be justified.

In this tense drama we meet Leo (Emil Odepark), a Swedish schoolboy who has been the target of bullying by Danne (Martin Wallström), a fellow- student, for three years. It seems as if nothing has been done about the matter, although the adults are aware of it. Leo's mother, (Tintin Anderzon), a police woman, believes that Leo has to turn the other cheek; not helpful advice to a lad already under emotional stress. Time is however ticking; Leo is approaching breaking point…

Ali (Per Graffman), a taxi driver, from Middle-Eastern origin, has a happy family life with his Swedish wife and two daughters. It is here that the two story-lines cross; Leo is (one-sidedly) in love with one of Ali's daughters, sharing his class. Ali's peace of mind gets shattered when he is approached by an unknown Middle-Eastern woman, who informs him that people close to him will be harmed if he does not cooperate with her. It is revealed that Ali was an officer in a liberation movement in his home country as a young man, but that he had deserted to start a new life in northern Europe. And that this Middle- Eastern woman has taken trouble to find him, with one specific purpose: All that is required from Ali is that he prevents Sanders, a manufacturer of heavy motor vehicles, from exporting his trucks to Ali's home-country. Even if he has to kill Sander in the process. We soon find out why it is important to stop the export of vehicles to that specific Middle-Eastern country; The murderous regime in Ali's country of birth is equipping Sander's trucks with rocket launchers that are used to annihilate whole villages. Ali is given a deadline; he has precious little time to decide what to do.

This suspenseful, tragic drama demands answers about moral questions; when, if at all, is revenge and violence justified? And what are the alternatives? Thematically this excellent film is related to the outstanding 'In a Better World' (aka 'Hævnen') (2010), which, incidentally, I can recommend.

Without giving anything away, the hard-hitting ending will stay with me for a long time. Great acting, cinematography (an effective combination of hand-held camera work and more static photography) and restless soundtrack - contrasted by the serene, crystal-clear notes of 'Amazing Grace' at times - and a gripping script make this a film to be watched again. 7.5/10.

Details

Country:

Sweden

Language:

Swedish

Release Date:

22 September 2000 (Sweden)

Also Known As:

Before the Storm

Filming Locations:

Gothenburg, Västra Götalands län, Sweden

Box Office

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$7,836

Company Credits

Production Co:

Felicia Film, Film i Väst, Illusion Film & Television

Technical Specs

Runtime:

106 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1