The drama is the directorial feature debut of writer Alex Schulman and is about a school trip that goes awry. Gustaf Skarsgård, Fares Fares and Linus Wahlgren play three fathers who go along on the trip and lose control of the students.
"Archipelago" is loosely based on a true story about when Alex Schulman decided to go on a school trip as a class parent to get closer to his teenage daughter.
I feel a boyish tingle in my body and walk like on clouds, says Schulman at the press conference at Filmhuset in Stockholm, where Sweden's Oscar entry was revealed.
Oscar campaign
Now, Schulman faces a long Oscar campaign. “Archipelago” will be screened at festivals and marketed to the thousands of film professionals who are members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. The final goal is the gala in Los Angeles on March 14.
I have a lot of good people around me who have contacts and know how to market the film. What I can do is give my time. If they call and ask me to take the next plane to the US, I will.
Supporting Sigge Eklund
Schulman is a debutant in this context and therefore feels a bit like an underdog.
"The oddsmakers wouldn't have tipped it to have that much of a chance. But I believe in the film, I feel it's a very good film," he says.
Alex Schulman hosts the popular podcast "Alex & Sigge" with Sigge Eklund, who also works as a director. Is he getting jealous now?
He's actually extremely generous and supportive. He sees what a huge opportunity this is for me – and that this will be good for me when I make my next film.
"Archipelago" will have its Swedish cinema premiere on October 9.
Each country is allowed to nominate its own candidate in the Best International Feature Film category at the Oscars. A new rule for this year is that in addition to these, non-English language films that win top prizes at several of the major festivals, including Cannes, Toronto and Venice, can also be considered for a nomination.
15 films will advance to a first screening on December 15. The final five Oscar-nominated films will be revealed on January 21. The Oscars will take place in Los Angeles on March 14.
2017: "The Square" (directed by Ruben Östlund), 2018: "Border" (Ali Abbasi), 2019: "And then we danced" (Levan Akin), 2020: "Charter" (Amanda Kernell), 2021: "Tigers" (Ronnie Sandahl), 2022: "Boy from heaven" (Tarik Saleh), 2023: "The Opponent" (Milad Alami), 2024: "The Last Journey" (Filip Hammar and Fredrik Wikingsson), 2025: "Eagles of the Republic" (Tarik Saleh), 2026: "Arkipelag" (Alex Schulman).
"The Square" is the latest Swedish film to be nominated in the category. The last Swedish film to win the award was Ingmar Bergman's "Fanny & Alexander", 1983.
