Synopsis

What could be the reason for little Ula to call the Swedish social services department one day? Growing up in a foreign country doesn’t seem easy for the 8-year-old daughter of a young Polish immigrant couple. But why is that? Ula gets teased in school because of her uncommon name. Her parents argue from time to time, but despite all, there is peace at home and everybody gets along well. Everything is fine until Ula actually picks up the phone and dials. Suddenly, her parents become subjected to the severity of the Swedish government. And losing their child becomes a real and disastrous possibility. In his heart-breaking drama, the Polish director Dariusz Gajewski broaches the issue of a battle for custody of the girl, claimed by all protagonists. A passionately fighting family has to take a stand against the omnipotent state of Sweden. Who will win and who will lose? Is the law really just? And more importantly: How does one raise a child correctly? Strange Heaven is solid social cinema which raises ethic-judicial questions and explores numerous psychological discourses about the family. Incidentally, the film amazingly combines the mesmerising idyll and odd calmness of the stunning Swedish countryside with emotionally turbulent themes.