“Rinkeby is a suburb of Stockholm that is overrepresented compared to the rest of the country in terms of both immigration and criminality. ‘Welcome Home’ tells the story of Rinkeby’s football team, a positive haven for the locals.”
Distribution: TV4, TV2
Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland
“The image of Sweden’s suburbs is skewed. Imagine being portrayed only from your worst sides. What would that look like? What would it feel like?
I perceive the media climate as a seesaw. Right now, it’s unbalanced. On one side, there are all the articles, documentaries, news reports, books, films, and shows that cover the violence, problems, and crime in areas like Rinkeby. On the other side, it is totally empty. This is where we want to put our story about Rinkeby United as a counterbalance.
‘Välkommen Hem’ showcases one of the many positive forces that exist in the suburbs: sports, specifically, a football team that operates on a voluntary basis to engage young people—a football team that is like a family.
Over 20 nationalities are represented on the team, and the atmosphere is truly familial.
Social workers, law students, educators, job seekers, and secondary school students all play on the same team. There are Christians, Jews, Muslims, and atheists. There are 1st, 2nd, and 3rd generation immigrants.
There are men with tough backgrounds marked by flight and war, and others who were born and raised in Sweden. There are men with secure upbringings and those who lacked support and stability. There are high-achieving students and ex-cons, united by sport.
They are all Swedish, but none of them feel that way. Why?
If the rest of us get a distorted view of life in the suburbs via the media, what perception do those who live there have of us, and of themselves?
In this series, I want to get to know the team and the people of Rinkeby United. Together, they will paint a more human and less dramatic side of Sweden’s suburbs. Adding nuance feels more important than ever right now.”
Director: Martin Roeck Hansen