Statement: What an honour to be screening ”Kiss Me” at Side by Side! My film centers around acceptance and I consider it to be one of the most important screenings of my film - knowing the vital impact of the festival on the LGBT Community in Russia – where gay love is not accepted.

Before ”Kiss Me”, I had written a few moody and dark screenplays, and I just felt like I wanted to make a film about true love. I knew that I had to make a film about two women falling in love. And that the story should have a positive vibe to it, unlike most lesbian themed films. There were a lot of challenges in writing the screenplay. This was the first lesbian film to come out of Sweden in about twelve years and Sweden is considered to be one of the most LGBT-friendly countries in the world.

I do think it moves a bit beyond the average ”lesbian film” because it's a love story about relations and acceptance. Not only between two persons, but also between parents and their children and most importantly, the acceptance for one’s true self. It was a very long and hard fight from start to end to make the film the way I had envisioned the story. To let the characters stay they way I had written them. They’re not freaks or outcasts just because they love the same sex. To let the scenes where Mia and Frida express their love not be cut from the film. Frida and Mia are just two ordinary, normal people. To struggle to market the film as a lesbian film, not be forced to downplay the LGBT premise of it. Then again I am very passionate about the work I do so I don’t mind the struggle… It’s part of the fight, I guess.