06/07/2026 - The Swedish director talks to us about his sensitive short film, which will soon screen in EFP’s Future Frames line-up in Karlovy Vary

(© Simon Averin)

Ten-year-old Noel admires his sister, but the differences between the worlds which boys and girls must sometimes inhabit is thrown into sharp relief when the siblings head for a haircut. This tiny moment alters the nature of their relationship. A subtle piece of work which eschews dialogue in favour of mood and atmosphere, Sister Of Mine is a fine example of utilising the short form to its fullest potential.

The movie, which premiered at the Göteborg Film Festival, is directed by Swedish filmmaker André Vaara, who studied film directing at HDK-Valand and Stockholm University of the Arts. Cineuropa chatted with him as the film prepared to screen in Karlovy Vary within the EFP’s Future Frames line-up.

Cineuropa: I’m curious to know how the film came about.
André Vaara: I find sibling relationships fascinating because they involve such direct comparison. There’s often a strong sense of fairness in everything: how many sweets you’re allowed to eat, how much pocket money you get, and so on. I wanted to examine that dynamic in relation to gender, because it’s something we don’t choose. What happens to us when our sibling has access to certain things and expressions that are tied to a gender identity we ourselves don’t have? Is there room to explore a different identity as a child? These questions turned into a story about a young boy longing for something that his sister naturally possesses.

We always hear the cliché, ‘never work with children’. How difficult was it finding the two young leads?
I actually got a tip about Lars, who plays the lead, from colleagues who’d worked with him before. I found Elma and Hanna on Instagram, and they’re mother and daughter in real life as well as in the film. All three of them are very outgoing and talkative, so a big part of the preparation was getting them into a more introverted family dynamic. I think it’s really rewarding to work with young actors because they bring such spontaneity and a sense of freedom. They haven’t yet developed all the filters you tend to adopt as you become an adult.

How important was it for you to create a world without needing large amounts of exposition?
It was very important to keep the dialogue as sparse as possible because, for me, the conflict at the heart of the film lies in a lack of communication. At first, I actually wanted to make it without any dialogue whatsoever, but it risked becoming too abstract, so we didn’t go that way. I also wanted the film to feel very tactile and to focus on the physical experience of things - like the feeling of trying to pull out a too-short haircut with your fingertips.

How important is it for you to balance moments of grounded realism with moments with a more hazy, dreamlike feeling?
I worked closely with my cinematographer, Patrik, and production designer, Carolina, when I was building the film’s visual world, and I think we gradually shaped a world that was inspired by our own childhoods in different ways. Some of the scenes are connected to me very personally - the sister dancing, for example - and I think personal elements like these naturally create a special feeling when you weave them into a story. As a person, I’m probably a big dreamer at heart, but I’m also a proper realist, so I think sometimes it’s just your personality spilling over into the storytelling,

What projects are on the cards after Sister of Mine?
I’m currently working on a feature film project called Beautiful Misfits, about a loving yet destructive friendship between two thirteen-year-old boys. The adult world can’t handle their unruly behaviour and they’re threatened with being separated into different schools, which pushes the boys into even more extreme territory. I’m working with producers Erika Malmgren and Annika Hellström at Cinenic Film, and I’ll be working on a new draft of the script after Karlovy Vary.