The 16 residents of the tiny Swedish village called Solitude have a shared passion: armwrestling. And it’s not just a minor past-time – slight, pretty 22 year old Heidi Andersson has been the world champion three times. This stylish, intriguing film is a memorable glimpse of life in Northern Sweden through the eyes of Heidi, an unlikely celebrity who still enjoys wrestling with her cousins and attending local dances as much as her life as an international sportswoman. We follow Heidi in her life of contrasts – flitting between living a quiet rural existence, rigorous training in makeshift gyms and her public role as spokeswoman for an under-acclaimed sport. One of her main challenges is simply getting Sweden’s athletic association to recognise armwrestling as an official sport. With her dad as coach, she finally heads to Canada to try to secure her fourth world championship title – but will she be able to defeat the ultra-competitive Russians?
Guldbagge for Best Documentary, Swedish Film Awards.
Screening as part of the Sheffield International Documentary Festival on Tour (www.sidf.co.uk/tour).