Opening Night Film
Director: Lukas Moodysson | Sweden | Fiction | 2013 | 102 mins
Film source: Magnolia Pictures
Sponsor: Vermont Works for Women and former board member Kate Schubart in honor of VWW’s critical work on behalf of women and girls
Stockholm in the early ‘80s. Bobo, a restless thirteen year old, is best friends with fellow outsider Klara, a rebel without applause. The two defiantly decide to start a band – who cares that they have no musical skills or experience? They soon entangle a third girl, Hedvig (a bit square – and Christian – but hey, she’s got real talent) in their dream, and the three begin practicing at the local teen center. Adapting his wife Coco Moodysson’s graphic novel, Never Goodnight, Swedish director Lukas Moodysson (Show Me Love; Together) creates an invigorating portrait of teenage punk – that boisterous, rambunctious energy that’s re-fueled anew by each generation’s sense of righteous passion, impatient desire for independence, and uneasy brew of angst, anger, and ambition. Thankfully, music is the map that serves to navigate the vagaries of our comings-of-age. We Are the Best! is a delightfully vivacious experience, brimming with infectious humanism, that perfectly captures the irrepressible spirit of youthful rebellion.