On Thursday 20 March, the Festival de Málaga screened the film 'Stockholm Bloodbath',   directed by renowned Swedish filmmaker Mikael Håfström, as part of its Mosaic: International Scene section. This historical drama immerses the viewer in one of the darkest episodes in Scandinavian history, the Stockholm Bloodbath.

In 1520, the power-hungry Danish King Christian II will stop at nothing to take over the Swedish crown from Sten Sture. Meanwhile, sisters Freja and Anne vow to take merciless revenge on the men who brutally murdered their family. The tension reaches its peak when the two become involved in a vicious political struggle between Sweden and Denmark, culminating in the notorious Stockholm Bloodbath, carried out by Christian the Tyrant.

The screening at the Echegaray Theatre was attended by the leading actresses Emily Beecham and Sophie Cookson. Actress Sophie Cookson shared that "it was a very wild film to make" and in the process they wondered "how they could do it".

It is a very complete film full of "black humour, violence, compassion" in a story in which "women lead the movement and find their own voice". On the other hand, Cookson stressed that the director allowed them "freedom to play and create" throughout the process.

For her part, actress Emily Beecham confessed that the process was "exhaustive" but very "fun" in a story with "a good narrative".

Mikael Håfström is a Swedish director and screenwriter born on 1 July 1960 in Lund, Sweden. He studied film at Stockholm University and at the School of Visual Arts in New York. He began his career in Swedish television as an assistant director and scriptwriter before directing Swedish dramas. He gained international recognition with the film 'Evil' ('Ondskan') in 2003, which was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. Subsequently, he directed 'Derailed' (2005), '1408' (2007) and 'The Rite' (2011).

Emily Beecham won the Cannes Palme d'Or for Best Actress (2019) for her work in 'Little Joe'. She has also appeared in films such as 'Cruella' (2021), '28 Weeks Later' (2007) and Guy Ritchie's 'The Pact' (2023). Sophie Cookson is known for her role as Roxy in 'Kingsman' (2015), 'Red Joan' (2018) and the sequel to ‘Snow White and the Huntsman’,  'The Huntsman: Winter's War' (2016), among others.

Following its presentation at the Festival de Málaga, ''Stockholm Bloodbath' is scheduled for release in Spanish cinemas on 15 May 2025, distributed by Filmax and Divisa.Y