The 49th Göteborg Film Festival (from 23 January to 1 February – read news) is set to introduce an unusual experiment at its upcoming edition, turning honesty into a form of currency. Under the initiative titled Truth Tickets, festivalgoers will be able to earn a cinema ticket or festival pass by undergoing a live lie detector test conducted by a professional polygraph specialist.

The project is part of the festival’s overarching theme, Focus: Truth, which explores how truth is represented, questioned and manipulated in contemporary cinema and public discourse. By linking access to screenings with a verified act of honesty, the festival aims to prompt reflection on the value of truth in an era marked by political polarisation and the dominance of personal narratives across digital media.

At the centre of the initiative is a custom-built interrogation room, designed to resemble real investigative environments, complete with cameras, lighting and physiological monitoring equipment. Participants who sign up will be connected to a polygraph and questioned during a live examination led by Ørjan Hesjedal, a certified polygraph specialist. The test itself lasts approximately ten minutes, and is presented as a high-pressure experience that mirrors the dynamics of real-world questioning rather than a purely symbolic gesture.

Visitors can book a slot in advance or attempt to secure one of a limited number of drop-in places. Those whose answers are assessed as truthful will receive a Truth Ticket, while those who fail the test will not be granted access. Each Truth Ticket is equivalent to a standard cinema ticket or festival pass and can be redeemed for regular festival screenings, subject to availability, during the festival.

The lie detector tests will take place at Nordstan from 16 to 18 January, and outside Cinema Draken from 24 to 26 January. According to the festival, the initiative is intended not as a spectacle alone, but as a tangible way to explore honesty as something with consequence and value beyond abstract debate.

By framing truth as a “democratic currency” that anyone can, in principle, offer, the festival positions Truth Tickets as both a participatory artwork and a social experiment. In extending its thematic exploration beyond the screen and into the public space, Göteborg Film Festival invites audiences to confront questions of truth, trust and accountability not only through cinema, but through their own willingness to submit to scrutiny.

More information about the Truth Tickets can be found here.