Kevlar Soul
| Kevlar Soul | |
|---|---|
Film poster | |
| Swedish | Kevlarsjäl |
| Directed by | Maria Eriksson-Hecht |
| Written by | Pelle Rådström |
| Produced by |
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| Starring |
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| Cinematography | Josua Enblom |
| Edited by |
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| Music by | Pessi Levanto |
Production company | |
Release dates |
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Running time | 101 minutes |
| Countries |
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| Language | Swedish |
Kevlar Soul (Swedish: Kevlarsjäl) is a 2025 coming-of-age drama film directed by Maria Eriksson-Hecht in her directorial debut from a screenplay written by Pelle Rådström. It stars Josef Kersh and Rio Svensson as Alex and Robin, respectively, two teenage brothers whose relationship drifts apart after finding love. It is an international co-production between Sweden, Norway, and Finland.
It had its world premiere at the Gothenburg Film Festival on 29 January 2025, competing at the Nordic Competition. It received seven nominations at the 61st Guldbagge Awards, including Best Film.
Premise
A close relationship between two teenage brothers drifts apart after the older brother finds love and the younger one becomes involved in a conflict.[1]
Cast
- Josef Kersh as Alex
- Rio Svensson as Robin
- Adja Sise Stenson as Ines
- Jonay Pineda Shellac as Dennis
- Torkel Petersson as Bo
- Tyrone Michele as Nabil
Production
In an interview with Cineuropa, Eriksson-Hecht stated that the main focus of the film was "children who take on huge responsibilities because there's no adult around to do it". She also noted that the film was partly inspired by the 2000 song of the same name by Swedish alternative rock band Kent.[2] The project was first showcased at the 2019 Stockholm Industry Days at the STHLM Debut initiative.[3] In November 2020, the project participated at the Baltic Event Co-Production Market, held during the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival.[4] It was chosen by the Baltic Event to be presented at the 2021 Marché du Film.[5] In March 2022, it participated at the m:brane Pitch Days.[6] It received a €150,000 production grant from the Finnish Film Foundation in March 2023.[7] In July 2023, Eurimages awarded the project a €350,000 production grant.[8] In August 2024, it took part at the New Nordic Films.[9]
Principal photography took place in August 2023 in Norrköping.[10] A casting call for the film was issued in September 2021.[11]
Release
Kevlar Soul had its world premiere at the 2025 Gothenburg Film Festival on 29 January at the Nordic Competition section.[12] It was theatrically released in Sweden on 22 August 2025.[13]
Accolades
| Award | Date | Category | Recipient | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gothenburg Film Festival | 1 February 2025 | Dragon Award for Best Nordic Film | Maria Eriksson-Hecht | Nominated | [14] |
| Guldbagge Awards | 19 January 2026 | Best Film | Ronny Fritsche and Lizette Jonjic | Pending | [15] |
| Best Director | Maria Eriksson-Hecht | Pending | |||
| Best Actor in a Leading Role | Josef Kersh | Pending | |||
| Best Actor in a Supporting Role | Torkel Petersson | Pending | |||
| Jonay Pineda Skallak | Pending | ||||
| Best Screenplay | Pelle Rådström | Pending | |||
| Best Editing | Mervi Junkkonen and Robert Krantz | Pending |
References
- ^ "Kevlar Soul". Storm Films. Retrieved 15 December 2025.
- ^ Lumholdt, Jan (4 February 2025). "Maria Eriksson-Hecht • Director of Kevlar Soul". Cineuropa. Retrieved 15 December 2025.
- ^ Lumholdt, Jan (12 November 2019). "Stockholm Industry Days' jam-packed schedule kicks off today". Cineuropa. Retrieved 15 December 2025.
- ^ Economou, Vassilis (9 November 2020). "Tallinn's digital Baltic Event announces its selection". Cineuropa. Retrieved 15 December 2025.
- ^ Pham, Annika (10 June 2021). "Baltic Event brings seven projects to the Marché du Film". Nordisk Film & TV Fond. Retrieved 15 December 2025.
- ^ Lumholdt, Jan (16 March 2022). "The 2022 m:brane financing forum gets ready for all things pitching". Cineuropa. Retrieved 15 December 2025.
- ^ "New films from Klaus Härö, Jenni Toivoniemi and Virpi Suutari receive production support". Finnish Film Foundation. 22 March 2023. Retrieved 15 December 2025.
- ^ "Co-production funding in 2023". Council of Europe. 14 December 2023. Retrieved 15 December 2025.
- ^ Pham, Annika (9 August 2024). "Haugesund's New Nordic Films Unveils Program with Slew of New Talents, Kids & Youth Fare, Chillers and Dramas". Variety. Retrieved 15 December 2025.
- ^ Hellström, Liv (27 August 2023). "Här skapas en ny långfilm från Norrköping". Corren (in Swedish). Retrieved 15 December 2025.
- ^ Olsson, Robert P. (8 September 2021). "Ungdomar sökes till Långfilm". Värmlands Biografnätverk (in Swedish). Retrieved 15 December 2025.
- ^ Roxborough, Scott (7 January 2025). "Goteborg Film Festival Lineup Features 'The Brutalist,' 'Queer,' 'The Girl With the Needle'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 15 December 2025.
- ^ "Kevlar Soul". Nordisk Film & TV Fond. 22 August 2025. Retrieved 15 December 2025.
- ^ Ntim, Zac (1 February 2025). "Göteborg Film Festival: Rúnar Rúnarsson's 'When The Light Breaks' Wins Best Nordic Film". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 15 December 2025.
- ^ "De kan få Guldbaggen 2026 – här är alla nominerade". Sveriges Television (in Swedish). 11 December 2025. Retrieved 15 December 2025.
External links
- Kevlar Soul at IMDb