Paradise Is Burning

Three sisters – sixteen-year-old Laura, twelve-year-old Mira, and seven-year-old Steffi – have been abandoned by their mother and fend for themselves every day. When social services start taking an interest in the girls, Laura must quickly find someone to pretend to be their parent.

For Laura, Mira, and Steffi, summer is a time of carefree freedom: without adult supervision, they can do exactly as they please. Their carefree days come to an end, however, when social services call to arrange a meeting with their absent mother. Laura begins looking for someone willing to impersonate her. She decides not to tell Mira and Steffi, so as not to worry them. This leads to growing tension between the sisters, as Laura disappears for whole days without telling them where she is or what she is doing.

Paradise Is Burning is a tender film about sisterly love that masterfully combines childhood freedom with the burden of growing up too soon.

Presented together with Elite.

Did you know that…

…the storyline about breaking into wealthy people’s homes while they are away and swimming in their pools was inspired by screenwriter Alexander Öhrstrand’s childhood memories?