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By Emily Williams

 

TRYON—Swedish director Andreas Thelander attended the 10th annual Tryon International Film Festival this weekend. His debut feature, Just Like Me, was the opening film after Friday night’s 10th annual gala reception. 

Just Like Me follows the story of a young Swedish woman named Maria who wins 250,000 kronor on a lottery show. Never the person to make friends or get out in the world, Maria decides to make a change and offers 1,000 kronor to anyone who will have coffee with her. Maria hopes that, by doing so, she might make a few friends and perhaps even find love. 

The film was a delight and an undisputed hit amongst viewers, going on to be named Best Overall Feature. Filmed in Stockholm using the Swedish language, the movie allowed the Tryon audience to experience a taste of Swedish life. 

The taste of Swedish life continued into Saturday morning when Thelander hosted a traditional fika, or a designated coffee and pastry break in Sweden, at the Fitzgerald. At the fika, he gave attendees insight into his passion for filmmaking and the process behind this film.

Thelander wrote the script for Just Like Me in only ten days. He based the lead character and plot for the screenplay on Cecilia Falkebring, who played Maria. 

“I met Cecilia once at a theater meeting,” he said. “I was watching her, and she was struggling and giving everything, but everyone thought she was too much. I hoped she would succeed with finding friends and finding her place in life.”

When he finished writing the script, Thelander decided to return to school for filmmaking at UCLA. He was thirty-six at the time—one of the oldest in the program—which pushed him even more to make a quality feature. The film was shot in his hometown of Stockholm in only eighteen days, and he began to look for film festivals that would premiere his feature.

After a year of rejections, Thelander was contacted by TRIFF co-founder Beau Menetre, who asked to premiere the film at the 2024 festival. Excited for the opportunity, he accepted Menetre’s offer and soon realized Tryon’s festival was the perfect fit for his feature. 

“There is a community here with young filmmakers, and my film is a romantic comedy with social impact and depth, so the movie fits the program,” he said.

Festival organizers say they were proud to have hosted Thelander and delighted that his film brought some laughter and happiness at a time when the community sorely needed it.