“Middle-school memories interspersed with accurate humor” (Göteborgs–Posten) — On June 29, see the comedic new Swedish coming-of-age film My Life as a Comedian /En komikers uppväxt (dir. Rojda Sekersöz, Sweden, 2019) at Scandinavia House!

At age 12 Juha is the class clown in the suburbs of Sävbyholm, Sweden in 1975. All he wants to do is fit into the social pecking order at school, and being funny is the only thing he’s good at. As an adult, Juha has found success — regaling sold-out audiences with tales of the horrid and funny experiences of his youth. But when he gets an unexpected visit from an old friend from school, Juha is forced to revisit Sävbyholm to deal with his past — bringing back memories of his quirky family, best friend Jenny, the bullied Thomas and his crazy German mother, and the bullies themselves, Lennart and Stefan. Set between the past and present and adapted from Jonas Gardell’s best autobiographical novel, My Life as a Comedian recalls the awkwardness and uncertainty of youth — and its rippling effects years later.

“Some of us get through the obstacles of childhood and young adulthood, others fall to the wayside. My Life as a Comedian honors both factions by showing us the travails of growing up”—That Shelf