Maria Bäck Discusses Her New Film Brave New Love and Its Provocative Themes

Maria Bäck, known for I Remember When I Die and Psychosis in Stockholm, reveals that Brave New Love centers on Kate, a mother caught between her spouse Orla and an affair with Andreas, using the story to probe entrenched ideas about desire, shame and parental identity. The director stresses that the film does not promote open relationships and that she herself lives conventionally, but she is intrigued by the gap between liberal self-perception and actual behavior.

Development spanned six years, beginning with an abstract emotional concept that later took shape through poetry, visual images and personal anecdotes, including a balloon scene inspired by her son. Script consultant Eskil Vogt helped sharpen the narrative, while the cast features Kathrine Thorborg Johansen, Simon Sears, Noemi Carbone Mannov, Anders Danielsen Lie and Angeliki Papoulia. Greek references appear through the daughter Athena and a Greek island setting, reflecting Bäck’s lifelong fascination with mythology. Brave New Love will world-premiere in the main competition at the 79th Locarno Film Festival on Aug. 9, with Reinvent Yellow managing its international sales.