Face to Face

The narrative takes place in the contemporary 1960s, a period of changing social norms and evolving attitudes toward mental health care. The story follows Jenny’s personal crisis against the pace of hospital procedures, family obligations, and urban life in this era.

The action moves between a Swedish mental hospital and the family home where Jenny grew up. The hospital serves as the backdrop of care, danger, and psychiatric strain, while the grandparents’ house and bedroom anchor Jenny to childhood memories and unresolved guilt.

🧠 Memory

Jenny’s dreams and visions uncover buried memories of childhood trauma and long-suppressed emotions. The old woman figure symbolizes repressed fears surface through sleep and waking visions. The film suggests that healing requires confronting the past rather than avoiding it.

💔 Desire & Shame

The story probes sexual longing, emotional numbness, and the struggle to experience physical pleasure. Jenny’s interactions with Tomas expose a tension between intimacy and fear, revealing her sense of guilt and inadequacy. Her neurosis is entwined with the need for authentic connection.

🏥 Mental Health

Set largely within a psychiatric hospital, the film examines care, control, and the fragility of patients like Mari. The claustrophobic environment mirrors Jenny’s psychological state, highlighting the limits of treatment and the stigma surrounding mental illness.

🕊️ Guilt & Forgiveness

Across flashbacks and dreams, Jenny confronts her parents’ deaths and her own perceived failures. The longing for forgiveness from loved ones—and self-forgiveness—drives her toward a fragile relief by the end, even as she remains conflicted.