Drowning Ghost

The director of the Oscar-nominated film Evil (Ondskan, 2003), Mikael Håfström, is known in Sweden and abroad. The action of his thriller The Drowning Ghost (Strandvaskaren, 2004) takes place at an elite school in Helestad, Sweden, where three students were brutally murdered a hundred years ago. The killer, a local farmer, drowned in a lake near the school after the crime. Since then, legends about the sunken ghost have been circulating in Helestade. It is said in the town that a ghost appears at the same time every year. Sarah decides to write an essay about it and find out if the farmer’s daughter has been raped and killed. One of the criminals was a respected member of the Veinai family, this family still generously supports the school. Sarah notices that someone is trying to stop her from finding out the truth. The film is full of tension and action, testifying that the director cleverly adapts the manner of Hollywood narrative while remaining true to Swedish authenticity.