Hoppet (internationally released as Leaps and Bounds; German title: Hoppet – Der große Sprung ins Glück; Italian title: Un salto verso la libertà) is a 2007 Swedish drama film directed by Norwegian director Petter Næss. It is a co-production between Sweden, Norway, and Germany.
Production Details
- Director: Petter Næss
- Screenplay: Moni Nilsson-Brännström, Kurt Öberg, based on an idea by Rewas Kader
- Music: Nils Petter Molvær, Nizamettin Ariç
- Cinematography: Marius Johansen Hansen
- Editing: Inge-Lise Langfeldt, Anders Refn
- Production companies: Sonet Film AB, TV4 AB, Cinenord Spillefilm A/S, Schmidtz Katze Filmkollektiv GmbH
- Distributor (Sweden): Sonet Film AB
- Runtime: 88–89 minutes
- Country of origin: Sweden
- Language: Swedish
- Release date: 9 February 2007 (Sweden)
- Age rating: 7 years and older (Sweden); 6 years and older (Germany)
Cast
- Ali Abdulsalam as Azad
- Mehmet Aras as Hussein
- Per Fritzell as Bosse
- Ronas Gemici as Tigris
- Peter Stormare (credited in some sources)
- Kajsa Bergqvist as herself (Swedish high jump world champion)
- Ia Langhammer
- Dler Resul as Father of Azad
- Richard Jarl as Markus
- Telar Hirani as Naza
- Lina Welander as Helga
Plot
The film follows two Kurdish brothers, Azad and Tigris, who become separated from their parents while fleeing war in the Middle East. Due to an airstrike, Tigris has lost the ability to speak. The boys are sent to an uncle in Germany but end up stranded in Sweden, where they must pretend to be part of another family. Azad, who loves high jumping and idolizes Swedish world champion high jumper Kajsa Bergqvist, struggles to adapt to his new surroundings, learn the language, and navigate school. The story follows his efforts to fit in, obtain residency, pursue his passion for high jumping, and ultimately reunite with his parents.
Reception
On IMDb, the film holds a rating of 5.2/10 based on 351 user ratings. The Swedish Film Database (SFdb) reports an average rating of 3.05/5.
Awards and Recognition
The film received numerous awards at international children's and youth film festivals, including:
- Lucas Award for Best Film at the Lucas 30th International Children's Film Festival (Frankfurt am Main, Germany, 2007)
- Golden Castle Award (First Prize) at the Castellinaria International Film Festival (Switzerland, 2007)
- Golden Slipper for Best Youth Feature Film at the Zlín International Film Festival for Children and Youth (Czech Republic, 2007)
- Children's and Youth Film Prize of the Nordic Film Institutes at the Nordic Film Days in Lübeck (Germany, 2007)
- Best Live-Action Feature Film at the Chicago International Children's Film Festival (USA, 2007)
- Best Feature Film at the European Youth Film Festival in Antwerp (Belgium, 2008)
- Golden Mboni Award for Best Film at the Nairobi Film Festival (Kenya, 2008)
- Silver Statue at the Roshd International Film Festival in Tehran (Iran, 2009)
- Moscow Teddy Bear at the Moscow Children's Film Festival (Russia, 2009)
- Additional awards and special mentions at festivals in Rimouski (Canada), Giffoni (Italy), Kristiansand (Norway), and Cairo (Egypt).
Alternative Titles
- Leaps and Bounds (international English title)
- Hoppet – Der große Sprung ins Glück (German)
- Un salto verso la libertà (Italian)
- Gisslan (working title during development)
