Getting arty in Stockholm

I read recently that actor Alexander Skarsgård has officially returned to Stockholm to live. He comes from that famous Swedish acting dynasty—I think there are eight siblings in total—and apparently, he’s moved back for good now that he and his partner have a child. The articles say you can spot him going about his daily life as a local, even hitting the public saunas. I wasn’t particularly aware of him as an individual until I saw him play the tech billionaire in Succession, but I’ve certainly developed an appreciation for his range since then.

Tonight, I went to see his new film, Pillion. Even though it’s not a Swedish production and was showing in Sydney a few weeks ago, there’s a definite buzz about it here. It felt right to see it in his home city.

It’s a challenging, intense film with a strong gay theme, centering on a BDSM relationship between his character, Ray, and a man named Colin, played by Harry Melling, who played Dudley Dursley in Harry Potter.

In the film, Skarsgård plays a very masculine English “top,” and while I’ve personally always preferred relationships that don’t revolve around role-playing or power imbalances, the film really forces you to think about the different ways people connect.

The power dynamics shift in ways I didn’t expect; at one point, it seems Colin might take control, and eventually, a sense of evenness emerges.

There’s a wonderful, sharp line from the mother, Delia, when she meets Ray for dinner that perfectly captures the outside world’s confusion toward their bond. It’s a bit of a rollercoaster—not for the faint-hearted—but at an hour and 40 minutes, it never dragged. I was on the edge of my seat until the very end, which featured a significant plot twist I won’t give away.

Earlier today, I made my way to Fotografiska, the wonderful photography gallery down on the Stockholm waterfront.

Given my limited mobility as an amputee, the walk from public transport is a bit much, so I opted for a Bolt. It turned out to be a great decision, as I had a fascinating chat with the driver. He’s from Kiruna in the far north and flies down weekly to work in Stockholm. We talked about how his hometown is literally subsiding due to the iron ore mine and how his house is being bought back by the government so it can be moved. I told him about my family in Lismore who went through a similar buy-back process after the floods. It was one of those lovely, unexpected moments of human connection..

The main exhibition featured the legendary Elliott Erwitt—a massive retrospective called Through the Playful Eyes of Elliott Erwitt. It’s full of his signature urban escapes and those famous black-and-white images of dogs and candid street moments. While Erwitt is a master of finding humour and humanity in the mundane, truthfully, the whimsical tone didn’t quite move me today.

However, I had fun tailing a Swedish-language tour for a while. I only know the basics of the language, but because the guide spoke slowly and used visual cues from the art, I managed to follow about two-thirds of it.

I’ve found myself heading back to the hotel a few times throughout day just to rest my leg.

I did manage lunch at Kulturhuset, which was bustling with an older weekday crowd, a different side of the city than I usually see.

I ended the evening at “The Half Way Inn,” a cozy Scottish pub near Mariatorget that I’ve frequented on previous trips.

Tomorrow, I’m off to London.