Maria Fredriksson, Sweden, Norway, Denmark 2023
Scandinavian born sisters Kari and May entice documentary filmmaker Maria Fredriksson to explore a part of their family story that is stranger-than-fiction in THE GULLSPÅNG MIRACLE. Fredriksson takes the bait and develops a fascinating true-crime story collaborating dramatic re-enactments, archival footage, and delightful conversations of a family struggling with a mysterious loss of a loved one.
Fredriksson says, "Several of my previous short films have focused on older women reflecting back on their lives, but what I find exciting about this film is how one's stories and truths about one's own life can suddenly be taken away." Adding, "I first met Kari, May and Olaug shortly after they received the results from a DNA test confirming they were sisters. I thought this encounter was astonishing, but what intrigued me the most was exploring their significant differences and strong convictions." The reality Fredriksson captures in THE GULLSPÅNG MIRACLE is life altering for each sibling beyond imagination.
Synopsis:
The middle-aged sister May suffers from an injury on a rollercoaster ride. In order to live near her sister Kari, the two have a premonition that they should purchase an apartment together in the small Swedish town of Gullspång. The sisters are deeply religious and often see divine signs all around them. Upon the sight of a unique painting on the kitchen wall in one of the properties, they each sensed a divine encounter; and it's the confirmation they need in order to purchase that property.
The sisters go to meet the seller of the apartment and are shocked to see a strong resemblance of the sister they lost thirty years ago to suicide. Again, the two sisters feel a divine inspiration that this purchase was meant to be because they are convinced that the seller is somehow connected to them.
This is the beginning of a tale with unique twists and turns where investigative journalism attempts to unfold a narrative stranger-than-fiction of secrets and truths deeply affecting family relationships that turn upside down. (KP)
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