Maria Blom has emerged as one of Sweden's best and brightest directors. Her debut feature Dalecarlians (Masjävlar) won three Swedish Guldbagge awards in 2004: Best Picture, Best Screenplay and Best Actress in a Leading Role (Kajsa Ernst). It is the poignant story of a woman who returns to her roots in a rural province to find herself entangled once again in a web of family problems and tensions. Completely Mad (Komplett galen), directed by Lea Farmlohde (a.k.a. Rafael Edholm), is a meta-comedy about a married actor couple (Edholm and his real-life wife Görel Crona) who rehearse Strindberg’s play Miss Julie while one of them makes a film about it. Totally irreverent and willfully ridiculous, the narrative traces a unique journey from cold Stockholm slaughterhouses to hot hotel rooms in Spain. One of Sweden’s most acclaimed contemporary directors, Richard Hobert shows his expert hand in Harry's Daughters (Harrys döttrar), a taut, well-written drama with psycho-thriller elements. The powerful bond linking two sisters (Lena Endre and Amanda Ooms at the peak of their game) starts to unravel when their mutual pregnancies take an unexpected turn: one child dies, and the surviving child seems to become a catalyst for the strange forces that soon engulf them. Illusive Tracks (Skenbart) is a comedy/thriller, expertly directed by Peter Dalle and featuring members of the Swedish acting elite. The black-and-white film is an exceedingly skillful 1940s pastiche about a writer on a train journey to Germany right after the end of WW II. He is on a mission to help the Germans start over, but first he helps his friends on the train. You won’t know whether to laugh or cry, or be scared out of your wits! Dalecarlians (Masjävlar)February 1, 2006, at 6:30 pmFebruary 4, 2006, at 3 pm Completely Mad (Komplett galen)February 8, 2006, at 6:30 pm February 11, 2006, at 3 pm Harry's Daughters (Harrys döttrar)February 16, 2006, at 6:30 pmFebruary 18, 2006, at 3 pmIllusive Tracks (Skenbart)February 22, 2006, at 6:30 pmFebruary 25, 2006, at 3 pmFor tickets and information: www.scandinaviahouse.org Photo: Illusive Tracks (Skenbart)