Swedish News

Swedish Films in New York. Less alcohol sold in Stockholm. Alexander Skarsgård + Kate Bosworth = True! Hospitals don’t want blood from homosexual men. Kent demands black socks.  

  • Kent demands black socks
    Swedish alternative rock band Kent has a penchant for black socks. Kent is one of the main drawing cards at the Oslo Live Festival, which recently opened, and on their list of demands, they’re asking for black socks, 50 kilos (110 lbs) worth of ice cubes, 39 bottles of liquor, and 45 bottles of wine. The director of the festival, Magnus Ulvik, is happy with Kent’s list and calls it “the kindest list I’ve ever seen”. Kent was founded in Eskilstuna in 1990 under the name Coca-Cola Kids, later Jones & the Poison later still Havsänglar, until they finally found their name Kent. The band has had several Swedish hits since their breakthrough single “Kräm”, and they are today one of the most popular rock bands in Sweden. Two of the band’s four members (Markus Mustonen and Sami Sirviö) are Sweden Finns. For more information: www.oslolivefestival.no

  • Alexander Skarsgård + Kate Bosworth = True!
    Hardly news, but the couple is finally going public with their love. Skarsgård, son of Stellan, is now a major heartthrob in American households, thanks to his part in “True Blood”, the TV drama broadcast on HBO. And Kate Bosworth has been famous since her leading role in the 2002 film “Blue Crush”. Although the couple has never acknowledged that they’re a couple or that they more or less live together, suddenly they are no longer hiding in public view. Skarsgård has just signed on to do the lead in the upcoming Norwegian film “The Elephant”, directed by Hans Petter Moland, and with a story that centers on a group of oil workers in the North Sea.

  • Swedish Films in New York
    If you’re in New York City in July, don’t miss the Rooftop Films Summer Series, as they will feature some Swedish short films. Among them “Anders & Harri” by Åsa Blanck and Johan Palmgren, “Bye, Bye, C’est Fini” by Tora Mårtens, “Slitage” by Patrik Eklund, “Händelse vid bank”, by Ruben Östlund (winner of the Golden Bear for best short film at the 2010 Berlin Film Festival), and the internationally successful “Tussilago” by Jonas Odell. You can also catch Jesper Ganslandt’s “Apan” and Mikel Cee Karlsson’s “Hälsningar från skogen”, a documentary. Patrik Eklund and Mikel Cee Karlsson will be present to introduce their films, which will be shown at various rooftops in Brooklyn. In addition, Swedish electronic artist Sophie Rimheden will give three concerts. Says Petter Mattsson at Filminstitutet: “This is the type of events more suitable for a younger, more trend conscious audience, and it is a perfect compliment to the Swedish Film Festival at Lincoln Center earlier in April.” For more information: www.rooftopfilms.com

  • Less alcohol sold in Stockholm
    The sales of alcohol in Stockholm decreased during the second quarter this year with 1.9 % compared with the same quarter in 2009. The biggest decrease was the sales of liquor. As most know, Sweden still has a monopoly for the selling of alcohol in shops through the state-owned company Systembolaget. /www.systembolaget.se

  • Hospitals don’t want blood from homosexual men
    New rules from the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare stipulate that blood centrals cannot refuse blood from homosexual men just because they are homosexuals. Despite the new rules, which took effect in March, many hospitals have applied for exception. The reason according to them is that the study made by the Board of Health and Welfare is not published in any international journal and that many studies show that homosexual men run a higher risk of having HIV.