“A tender journey into the process of grief and how to manage it – more specifically, if you’re a gutsy young gamine, harshly and unfairly interrupted in the middle of your childhood” — see the critically acclaimed Swedish dramedy Comedy Queen (dir. Sanna Lenken, Sweden, 2022) at Scandinavia House! Sasha doesn’t want to cry — and she’s deeply angry at her mother for taking her own life. To escape a similar fate, the 13-year-old compiles a survival list. First up: cut off her long hair. Second: don’t read any more books. Third: never take care of something that’s alive. And fourth: become a stand-up comedian to make her papa laugh again. As she sets off on her checklist — some of which prove more challenging than others — Sasha can count on support from her friends and family, even when they don’t fully understand her. Based on the acclaimed novel by Jenny Jägerfeld and winner of awards including the Crystal Bear at the 72nd Berlin International Film Festival, Comedy Queen sensitively depicts an emotional journey of grief and anger transformed by humor.

“Treading the fine line between the gutsy and the brittle, Sanna Lenken’s return shines a ray of joy on the harsh process of grief management” (Cineuropa)

About the Director

Sanna Lenken was born in Gothenburg, Sweden in 1978. She studied at the Dramatiska Institutet in Stockholm and the European Film College in Denmark. After making several successful short films, including Eating Lunch, and the series Double Life, she directed My Skinny Sister, her debut feature which won the Crystal Bear at the Berlinale and the Audience Award at the Göteborg Film Festival. A Berlinale Talents alumna, her most recent works are the popular series Thin Blue Line for Swedish television and the Viaplay series Thunder in My Heart.