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The Swindler

Bedragaren

dir. Åsa Blanck, Johan Palmgren / Sweden 2008 / 84’

subtitles: Polish and English

Cinema of Sweden Darling, Fishy, Guidance, Heaven’s Hart, Images from the Playground, Involuntary, King of Ping-Pong, Let the Right One In, Long Distance Love, Mr. Governor, The Girl, The Swindler, To Love Someone, A Tale od an artist’s brush, A Video Diary of Saraband, An Image Maker; Behind the Scenes of The Image Makers, Behind the scenes of Autumn Sonata, Instead of Abracadabra, London Transfer, Outdoor Life, Situation Frank, Slaves, Stig, The Big Store, The First Day, The Fur, Tile M for Murder, Unexpected Company? Section index

Film description

The Swindler is a story about Z, swindler no. 136 on the Interpol list, wanted by the police worldwide for his crimes. Who is this man, who managed to gain people's confidence so fast only to exploit it later on? The authors of this documentary are trying to understand the phenomenon of a man who could manipulate others so easily, they are attempting to find out his identity. Describing the story of a congenial criminal, the artists apparently somehow got fascinated by his personality. No surprise, as Z led a team of swimmers to a championship without ever learning how to swim himself, and as a false bishop he married many couples, although he had nothing to do with the church and he himself was a divorcee.

Åsa Blanck and Johan Palmgren's documentary is a colourful story about small and bigger lies, which also discloses the sad truth about human weaknesses.

Patryk Tomiczek