Courtroom drama depicts young people’s vulnerability on the Internet

The AKA Suzanna project portrays young people’s vulnerability on the Internet through a trial with several different layers and narrative perspectives. Previous works by the authors, Lovisa Löwhagen and Jessika Jankert (Lowa Manusproduktion), include the widely viewed TV series Hashtag. They based the manuscript on what came to be called the “Instagram uprising” in Gothenburg in 2012. In a way, AKA Suzanna is a step further in the same direction.
 

New images and narratives provide greater understanding

“In the work on Hashtag, we researched crimes committed online,” Lovisa Löwhagen tells us. “We read about phenomena such as ‘grooming’, when adults build a relationship with children to exploit them sexually. We decided to try to depict that process and appeal to an adult audience.” 

One actual case of grooming and sexual assault on the Net that garnered a lot of attention was known as the “Alexandra case”, which was also an initial working name for AKA Suzanna.

“Sexual assault rarely happens the way it’s usually depicted on film. Nor is the process preceding the assault, or what follows afterwards. We think new images and narratives are needed.”

The pair has conducted a great deal of research and worked hard on the storyline for the series, which will be a courtroom drama. They have also written a pilot episode.

“We’re starting to get to know our characters really well, but we’re still researching the world they’ll be in.

“We want to tell the story from a larger political perspective about the conditions of pursuing criminal sexual cases today, which particularly topical considering the #metoo campaign,” Ms Löwhagen continues.

Selected in stiff international competition

AKA Suzanna is one of nine projects from across Europe selected for the Torino Film Lab “SeriesLab” programme, an intensive five-month course with workshops in the Netherlands, Sweden, and France. The final step is presenting before an audience consisting of international buyers in the field of television.

Read more about the projects selected for Torino Film Lab Film Lab

“Torino is fantastic,” Ms Löwhagen says. “As far as the project is concerned, we hope that Torino Series Lab can improve the opportunities for the series to reach out and speak to a broad international public. Of course, we’re really looking forward to inspiring workshops, to learning about the other projects, and to expanding our network outside Sweden.”

Ms Löwhagen and Ms Jankert are also participants in Lindholmen Science Park.

“Manusfabriken has been a tremendously positive force in practicing our profession. From sharing work space with other writers, giving and receiving feedback from people who really understand how the manuscript process happens, to finding constellations for new projects.”

This project is supported by Lindholmen Science park