Sparks fly among the hills and mountains in Dalarna when the newly arrived psychologist Nisse (Joel Spira) gets to know Rebecka (Josefin Asplund), who works in the hardware store.
"Something is happening there. It basically says 'bang'," says Joel Spira.
But it's not love without complications because Nisse is Rebecka's psychologist - couples therapist even. The fact that Rebecka has a boyfriend, Andreas, is a big obstacle on the way to her heart.
British vibe
"Parterapi i Gagnef" premieres on SVT on November 7th and the English inspiration from classics such as "Notting Hill" and "Love Actually" comes from, among other things, the Swedish-British director Lisa James Larsson, explains Josefin Asplund.
She has brought a British vibe to the whole thing, that if you're going to make a romantic comedy you have to take everything seriously. Otherwise when you make humor it's easy for the characters to be stupid, but there has to be substance and we have to take our roles seriously.
In addition to the love story, "Couple Therapy in Gagnef" is about the other patients psychologist Nisse has, which sometimes leads to comical situations.
Joel Spira has been in therapy himself and says that he mostly remembers the therapists he didn't feel comfortable with. There may have been strange situations that made it not work.
It could be that they have had a dog that has been sleeping in a dog basket and they just take it for granted that it is okay for a dog to be lying in a corner looking scary and growling when you are supposed to be sitting there talking about yourself, he says, laughing.
This fall, Josefin Asplund was seen in Netflix's historical police drama "Skiftet" and Guldbagge winner Joel Spira plays the lead role opposite Veronica Maggio in "7 Steps", which is currently in theaters.
“With the left hand”
Both actors have extensive experience, but Josefin Asplund has never done a romantic comedy before.
"I've rarely come across scripts that I think are up to standard. Then it might be easier to write thrillers or crime stories. So maybe that's why I haven't applied myself to this genre," she says.
Joel Spira is also a beginner in the genre and also a bit critical.
"I think there has been too little Romanization with high standards and quality. It has been treated a bit laxly and with a left hand, but here there was a difference," he says.
Mikael Forsell/TT
Facts: Josefin Asplund and Joel Spira
TT
Josefin Asplund, 34, has previously been seen in the TV series "Vikings", "Top Dog" and "Snow Angels", the film "Nova & Alice" and recently in the Netflix series "Skiftet".
Joel Spira, 44, received a Guldbagge last year for the lead role in the film “Scapegoat”. His breakthrough came in the TV series “Thicker than Water”. He plays opposite Veronica Maggio in the film “7 Steps” in cinemas right now.
