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What you need to know about the first Swedish-language Netflix original series

The Local Sweden
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What you need to know about the first Swedish-language Netflix original series
The head writer of The Bridge has penned the screenplay for the series. Photo: AP Photo/Matt Rourke/TT

If you're a fan of Scandinavian noir or simply looking for a fun way to improve your Swedish, mark April 5th in your calendar, because the first Swedish-language Netflix original series will premiere on that date.

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Störst av allt, or Quicksand as it's known in English-speaking countries, is based on the multiple award-winning book of the same name by Malin Persson Giolito.

The story opens with a shocking mass shooting at a school in the affluent Djursholm suburb of Stockholm. Eighteen-year-old Maja, whose boyfriend and best friend were both killed in the attack, is soon on trial for murder. 

READ ALSO: Six addictive Swedish TV series to binge-watch that aren't Nordic noir

The series explores Maja's relationship with the wealthy but troubled Sebastian through flashbacks as the events that led up to the shooting are slowly revealed.

"When a mass shooting takes place at a prep school in Stockholm's wealthiest suburb, a normal high school student, Maja Norberg, finds herself on trial for murder. When the events of that tragic day are revealed, so too are the private details about her relationship with Sebastian Fagerman and his dysfunctional family," Netflix's blurb of the show reads.

See the English-language trailer below.

The series will be available to watch in 190 countries, with six episodes lasting 45 minutes each and all of which will be on Netflix from April 5th.

The book was an international success, published in 29 countries, and with a screenplay from Bron (The Bridge) writer Camilla Ahlgren, anticipation for the series is high. Filmed in Sweden and Croatia, the first two episodes were shown at the Berlin International Film Festival in February.

Actress Hanna Ardéhn plays protagonist Maya, having previously appeared in the Swedish series 30 grader i februari, which depicts the lives of Swedes who move overseas to Thailand. And Melodifestivalen fans are likely to recognize Felix Sandman in the role of Maya's boyfriend Sebastian; the role is Sandman's acting debut after rising to fame as part of boyband FO&O and later coming second in last year's Melodifestivalen song contest.

Netflix first launched in Sweden in 2012, and since then has invested significantly in international films and series, and in original content.

READ ALSO: Amazon to make TV show based on Swedish artist's hit dystopian books

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Anonymous 2019/04/02 12:44
Thanks for spotting that Niklas! It was indeed a typo and the story is set in the Djursholm suburb :) We've updated the article now.
Anonymous 2019/04/01 22:37
Mistaking Djurgården for Djursholm?<br /><br />”The story opens with a shocking mass shooting at a school in the affluent Djurgården suburb of Stockholm.”<br /><br />I wouldn't call Djurgården a suburb, and as I recall it, without actually having read the book, the shooting took place in Djursholm. That also happens to be where the author grew up. ?

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