SVT’s Prison Project Little Scandinavia wins 'Buyers Coup de Coeur' at MIPDOC in Cannes

Prison Project Little Scandinavia which shared on Sunday the ‘Buyers Coup de Coeur’ with the Spanish feature length The Caravan, is jointly directed and produced by Tomas Lindh & John Stark.

The series explores if more humane and rehabilitating methods used in Scandinavian prisons can work in the US, as experimented by one US correctional facility.

In 2018, the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections concluded that the methods used today are not giving the desired results, with a high number of incarcerations and recidivism, linked to a stressed-out staff whose life expectancy is lower than amongst war veterans.

The correctional facility then decided to move towards a more humane and rehabilitating setting inside the prison, and look towards the Scandinavian model.

In the summer 2019 a group of correctional officers and management set out on a trip across Scandinavia. For two weeks they worked side-by-side with Norwegian colleagues to observe and collect clues on how the Scandinavian elements and methods could be adapted back home. Late 2019 construction was started of the unit at Pennsylvania’s State Correctional Institute (SCI) Chester, a unit that was given the name "Little Scandinavia".

The documentary follows the whole process from the early 2018 until January 2023.

The film which is due to premiere on SVT1 and SVT Play April 25, was selected alongside 11 upcoming documentary and factual programmes for MIPDOC’s curated International Buyers Screenings.

Other high-profile titles included ARTE Distribution’s 52’ Nicola Kidman: Eyes Wide Shut, About Premium Content’s true crime The Singh Case from France and the US true crime Catching Lightning about the legendary mixed martial arts fighter Lee Murray, represented by Paramount Global Content Distribution.

The docu and factual programmes were pitched on Sunday April 16 in Cannes, in front of more than 500 doc and factual content buyers.