Projects

The Making of a Terrorist

A family man with dynamite, a heated hunting team and failing authorities. The outcome?

synopsis

When Micke’s wife commits suicide after they’ve been scammed by their employer, he is left with rapidly growing debts, a four-month-old baby and an unbearable feeling of failure. He couldn’t provide for his family. To not break down from guilt, Micke needs to find someone to blame. But life doesn’t listen to excuses, neither do the debt collectors. Being surrounded by people just as him - scammed, in debt and poor - Micke starts to become radicalized, justice does not prevail in Sweden. When the debt collectors come knocking at the door, Micke feels haunted. All he wants is to be with his daughter. But as the authorities threaten to take his babygirl from him, he stops following the path of law. If he can’t be with his child while playing by the rules, they need to be changed to his advantage. Supported by his angry hunting team, all eager to get revenge for the lives they all lost to the scamming employer and the ever so failing authorities.

Director’statement

Leif’s dad wanted to blow up the authorities when he was put in debt. He had dynamite from a former job, which frightened Leif. When the father instead took his own life, Leif understood his need for revenge. The idea for this series was born, realising that anybody is a potential terrorist. We write fiction built on the emotional core surrounding this realisation. It’s a David against Goliath kind of story, since that’s what it can feel like to be in deep debt. It’s a series about family. The biological and the chosen one. With a curious approach we explore guilt and responsibility and our need to divide life into dualities: Good and bad, right and wrong. Micke is an ordinary man, who in his struggle to beat Goliath and become the hero – commits the act of terrorism. We want to ask the audience, is he a hero or a terrorist? A question we would like to ask in several seasons. We know that Micke’s world will be forever changed. How far is he willing to go, to be the hero?

TFL PROGRAMME:
SeriesLab 2024

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