User Reviews

Someone is lying. Or maybe everyone is. The Gullspång Miracle, a documentary, begins with an incredible story, and keeps delivering twists and turns, even after the credits start. I give the filmmaker Maria Frederiksson credit for not trying to manipulate the odd-shaped facts which are uncovered to fit a clear narrative. The audience, like Frederiksson, never finds out exactly who is trustworthy and who is hiding something. But everyone cannot be telling us the whole truth.

This is documentary film making at its finest. The cinematography, editing, and especially the score work together to make each twist hit hard. Each person in the film understands the world in their own way, and none of their stories are consistent with all of the facts. Each of them must decide what they believe about the past and who they really are. They must also decide what they tell the others. And what they don't.

In addition to its craft, it is refreshing to watch a film primarily featuring people older than sixty, and mostly women. This may be the only film I have ever seen that fails the reverse Bechdel test. Two men never once speak to each other in the film.

This first-class documentary deserves far more acclaim than it has won already. It is a tragedy it is not yet on wider release, or streaming anywhere. If it is playing near you, don't miss seeing it while you can.

Brilliant documentary. Fascinating tale. Beautifully shot. I feel so lucky to have stumbled across this via BBC storyville. It definitely makes me want to make a documentary of my own. Not sure what the other guy who left a review is on about. The story is strong and the director does a great job of following the organic twists and turns that come up. Ticks all the boxes for what a great documentary should be. Does a great job have handling family drama in an appropriate way. Definitely worth a watch if you can get it. Well done to everyone involved in this film, you should be very proud of yourselves.

Pointless story told in an overly dramatic way by a filmmaker who can't handle when their project takes a disappointing turn. It feels like the cast are used as puppets and in the end nothing gets resolved. Don't waste your time watching this. There's no mystery in the filmmaking, only cheap tricks to build some suspense to keep you watching. But it never gets truly interesting because the story lacks substance. It only exists in the head of the main characters and the filmmaker. The problem of this documentary is that it's constructed in a way that emphasises excitement of the story when there is none. Why not slow down and let people interact on their own?