1. Swenglish - A journey of self discovery is a documentary based on Louise
Halvardsson's unique social experiment. Louise Halvardsson is a Swedish novelist
and performance poet, who’d lived in Brighton for a decade and found herself
treading water as she approached her 30th birthday, questioning her own existence,
desires and purpose in life. Louise’s way out was Swenglish, a project which saw her
celebrate her 30th by going on a 30 week long journey, living with 30 different people
(half of them in Sweden, half of them in England). She stayed one week with each
person, living in their homes, shadowing them at work and in their everyday life. The
author’s purpose was to find new dreams and write a book about her experience.
The documentary covers the author's development and emotions throughout the
project, encapsulating the peak experiences she had while living other people's lives,
possessing a mystical and spiritual element, filled with visions and the sense of
something larger at work. However, as is the case with every journey it’s about the
back roads, the stumbles and the hurdles along the path that teaches us the
experience of life, and the excitement of not knowing what is around the corner. We
discover our answers almost accidentally as we move towards our target.
The story touches on subjects such as the connection between religion, nature and
spiritual practices. One man in Sweden was part of the Raelian movement, believing
we are created by aliens, and in Brighton she was introduced to 5 Rhythm’s Dance
and meditation. One woman she stayed with in Brighton went swimming in the sea
every morning at 6.30 am, even in winter.
In contrast to the mystical side of the journey, the documentary also explores the
quirky side of the two countries. Anytime is a time for a pint in England, for example
when you are waiting for your washing in the launderette while in Sweden, according
to one of the participants, you have to get really drunk before you go to the pub
otherwise no one think it's fun. The English are really fussy about their tea, it's
impossible to make a nice cup of tea for an English person if you are Swedish. In
England people often go for a traditional Sunday roast, in Sweden the best hangover
cure is Swedish pizza with toppings like chips, banana and kebab sauce.
Changing the environment from one week to another and learning from other
people’s lifestyles has affected the author’s way of looking towards the future and
her attitude towards life in general. The Swenglish project has been a life changing
experience for Louise Halvardsson. Her book Swenglish - A journey through
everyday life was published in June 2015.