En bra vecka för demokratin

Director Cecilia Bjork has created an arresting visual time stamp of society and democracy in her feature film debut, A Good Week for Democracy. Shot over three years during Sweden's famous annual summertime political-fest known as Almedalen Week, Bjork set out to chronicle the pride of Swedish democracy in its most dense microcosm where anything goes and the candidate with the loudest presence wins. Looking for new images of politics, beyond the live broadcasts and sensational headlines, Bjork asked, "How is society formed by the images media creates?" as she trained her camera on the performance aspect of politics when media attention is the currency of the day. Employing a less-is-more approach, Bjork's minimalistic style is at once both critical and humorous. allowing her subjects to speak for themselves through actions instead of sound bytes, entertainment instead of format, and popularity rather than punditry. (Seattle International Film Festival)