Måns Månsson and Axel Petersén’s comic psycho-thriller is the first Swedish film competing at the Berlinale since Lukas Moodysson’s Mammut in 2009. 

The Real Estate (Toppen av ingenting) is a comic psycho-thriller; a hybrid film about crime within the Swedish real estate bubble. It revolves around Nojet, in her 60s, who inherits an apartment building. But the building turns on her and she realizes that the cash cow is in fact a curse. She takes control of the building by becoming more ruthless than the business surrounding it.

Petersén wrote the script, Månsson lensed the film, and both directed it. Månsson’s Mr Governor and The Yard screened at the Berlinale’s Forum in 2009 and 2012 respectively, and Petersén’s Avalon was a Forum 2016 entry.  The Real Estate was produced by Sigrid Helleday and Måns Månsson of Flybridge. Njutafilms handles the domestic release, set for March 16, 2018. 

Sweden has a strong presence at the Berlinale this year, with the documentary That Summer by Göran Hugo Olsson selected at the Panorama, the animated film Gordon and Paddy by Linda Hambäck, screening at Generation KPlus and the 1967 short film I Ruhrområdet by Peter Nestler competing in the main section. 

Denmark will attend the Children and youth section Generation with the film Denmark by Kasper Rune Larsen (14Plus) and The Incredible Story of the Giant Pear by Philip Einstein Lipski, Amalie Næsby Fick and Jørgen Lerdam (KPlus), while Solar Walk by Réka Bucsi is screening at the Berlinale Competition. 

Norway is co-producer of the film The Heiresses (Las Herederas) by Marcelo Martinessi from Paraguay, vying for the Golden Bear. 

The 68th Berlinale runs February 15-25, 2018.