THE SMUGGLER

World Premiere: Thessaloniki Documentary Festival 2026 / Newcomers Competition

Newly retired Lisbeth sets out on the most important mission of her life: to find the gun her father turned on himself in 1940, but with which he failed to take his own life. The weapon vanished, becoming a haunting family legend. Determined to bring the gun home to Sweden, she joins a “therapy bus” of fellow children of war veterans. What follows is an emotional journey through Finland, where Lisbeth encounters an arms dealer, sings karaoke, learns to shoot, and receives cryptic guidance from a witch. As the bus nears the Russian border, she edges closer not only to the lost pistol, but to reconciliation with her father, her past, and a country scarred by old wounds.

A FILM BY Sylvelin Måkestad | Sweden / Finland / Norway | 2026 | 79'  | Sales: tbc