THE SWEDISH TORPEDO
Frida Kempff brings TIFF 2024 audiences the true story of Sally Bauer, a single mother attempting to swim the English Channel in 1939. THE SWEDISH TORPEDO is a unique and multilayered sports docudrama. It will take you by surprise.
Josefin Neldén is utterly mesmerizing as Sally Bauer. She delivers a beautiful turn as a desperate single mother with fearless hope and the ingenuity to eschew societal expectations. Neldén carefully navigates the myriad of complicated relationships in Sally’s life, from her judgemental family, the father of her child, and her son Lars. She has a spirited likeability that draws you in.
Bauer travels an uphill battle in every sense, from poverty to her affair with Lars’ married father, from her gender to impending war. Sally’s efforts soon become a misogynistic commodity as Henry and sponsors woo her with promises, but at what cost? Kempff tackles the insurmountable sacrifices of the sports world, particularly the challenges of being a female athlete.
The overall look is stunning. The natural lighting and costumes are all set against sweeping green cliffs and stormy seas. THE SWEDISH TORPEDO plays out in the days leading up to WWII, heightening every moment. Martin Dirkov‘s score does the same.
THE SWEDISH TORPEDO is exhilarating and heartfelt. Kempff and co-writer Marietta von Hausswolff von Baumgarten establish an authentic emotional connection to Sally’s dreams and sadness. The film delves into the darkness of motherhood and autonomy on levels only caregivers can begin to understand. It will reach audiences far and wide.
Frida Kempff
This beautifully textured period drama from director Frida Kempff tells the story of Sally Bauer, a Swedish mother who pursues her dream of swimming the English Channel before the Second World War envelops Europe.
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