Värn (Redoubt)
A poetic and observational film about a Swedish farmhand (Denis Lavant) who, during the Cold War, becomes increasingly obsessed with the threat of a potential catastrophe.
A Swedish government leaflet (‘If war breaks out’) becomes a real obsession for Karl-Göran Persson. In preparation for an invasion, he begins to transform his farm into a fortress of scrap metal, intended as a refuge for himself and his fellow villagers. Persson mixes concrete, collects steel, stacks, screws, and hammers and welds away tirelessly.
The Swedish director and visual artist John Skoog based his second feature film on the life story of the real Karl-Göran Persson, who died in 1975. He was convinced that the Russians would invade Sweden and converted a small country cottage on the southern Swedish plains into what he believed to be a radiation-free bunker.
Värn is a poetic film about fear, idealism and the fine line between protection and obsession, featuring a magnificent leading performance by the striking French actor Denis Lavant (Les Amants Du Pont Neuf, Holy Motors), who physically embodies Persson’s uncompromising drive in a way that only he can.
Please note that this film is in Swedish, with Dutch subtitles.