Retreat (13 min)
Synopsis
At an all-male retreat in the countryside of Sweden, Dante, a man in his 20’s attends in the hope to deal with the complexities of his relationship with men. In the midst of the therapeutic exercises and social interactions with the other attendees, Dante realizes that the retreat may not be the right solution for his problems.
Artist statement
In an age marked by awareness of toxic masculinity, young men are actively reshaping the definition of male identity. Henrik Johansson examines the disintegration of traditional masculine traits and the resulting impact on men’s behavior. His research explores the internal struggles faced by modern men, who, while distancing themselves from outdated forms of masculinity, are also uncertain about their evolving roles.
Bio
Born 1999 in Stockholm, Sweden, Henrik spent his youth creating short films and sketches with friends which led to his interest in directing film. He attended Stockholm’s Filmskola from 2018-2020, studying directing, screenwriting and cinematography. Henrik made his debut short film Demonstration (2021) shortly thereafter, which made its way to compete in 1KM film at Stockholms Filmfestival. Before applying to Valand, Henrik worked in the film industry as a third assistant director, second assistant director and director’s assistant.
Bio
Born 1999 in Stockholm, Sweden, Henrik spent his youth creating short films and sketches with friends which led to his interest in directing film. He attended Stockholm’s Filmskola from 2018-2020, studying directing, screenwriting and cinematography. Henrik made his debut short film Demonstration (2021) shortly thereafter, which made its way to compete in 1KM film at Stockholms Filmfestival. Before applying to Valand, Henrik worked in the film industry as a third assistant director, second assistant director and director’s assistant.
henrikjohanssonfilm@gmail.com
