Best of Fest Encores
Martin Bengtsson is one of the most promising soccer talents Sweden has ever seen. At sixteen, his lifelong dream comes true when he is bought by one of Italy’s most prestigious clubs, Inter Milan.
Yet that dream comes at a very high price in terms of sacrifice, dedication, pressure and - most of all - loneliness. Martin begins to question whether this is actually the life he yearned for. Based on Bengtsson’s memoir “In The Shadow of San Siro” and directed by Borg vs. McEnroe screenwriter Ronnie Sandahl, this fascinating look at the dark side of sports glory offers a coming-of-age drama about a young man’s burning obsession in a world where everything, and everyone, has a price tag. The marvelous lead performer Erik Enge (a multiple prizewinner for this role) poignantly depicts Martin’s struggles with the pressures of success. Winner, Best Flash Forward Film, Busan; Best Nordic Film, Göteborg; Youth Jury Prize, Lübeck. (Alissa Simon)
Director Biography
Born in 1984 in Falköping, Sweden, Ronnie Sandahl began his career in journalism before working in films. His fascination with the psychology of athletes resulted in a trilogy of sports films, the first of which was Borg vs. McEnroe (2017, directed by Janus Metz) which he wrote; Underdog (2014) and Tigers (2020) he wrote and directed.
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