HIP HIP HORA (THE KETCHUP EFFECT)

Sweden, 2004, 93 minutes, Colour.
Amanda Renberg, Bjorn Kgellman, Ellen Fjastad, Lynn Persson, Filip Berg, Marcus Hasselborg, Carla Abrahamsen, Josephine Bauer.
Directed by Teresa Fabik.

The Ketchup Effect is a different Swedish film. It is a film about teenagers – but something of a more hopeful kind, a counterbalance to such American films as Larry Clark’s Kids.

The film focuses on a thirteen-year-old girl who drinks too much at a party and falls asleep. Mischievous boys take compromising photos of her and circulate them. She gains a reputation for being easy and loose, her friends from school avoid her, she seems doomed to become an outsider.

However, she has good support from her father, she decides to stand up for herself – and to vindicate herself as a person who has values.

The film was written and directed by Teresa Fabik, who brings a female sensibility to the portrait of a young girl. The film is interesting in its picture of school, the role of the principal of the school, the school welfare officers, teachers as well as friends. It shows the contemporary way of life for teenagers, the difficulties that they can get themselves into – and the need for family support, parental affirmation as well as support from the community.

1.The director, her age, drawing on her experience, empathy for young teenagers? A film for teenagers? (The difficulty of the adult treatment and scenes for a lower classification?) For adults, for parents?

2.The Swedish setting, the city, homes, flats, the streets, schools, the railway stations? The social realistic presentation of an authentic atmosphere?

3.The musical score, the range of songs, the music for teenagers?

4.The titles, the Swedish title and the play on words for cheering as well as implication of a girl being a whore? The visual jokes about the ketchup?

5.The girls, age twelve, their families, the end of primary school, the prospects of high school, their talking about boys, parties, about Mouse? Chatting at home, reading the pornography but not understanding it? Their not understanding a lot of words about sexuality, even about a catwalk for models? The girls and their age, lack of experience?

6.Sofie as the focus, her age, her thirteenth birthday? Her mother leaving when she was eight, and her father’s angry taunts? Her relationship with her father, travelling in the bus, the kick for good luck, her wanting to disown him at the school, a pretty girl, her provocative clothes and manner, unconscious provocation? With Amanda and Emma, the contrast with them? At school, the boys, her gawky manner, the teacher and the roll call, the references to her father and her embarrassment, her anger at the teacher, the meal in the dining room, wanting to talk to the boys, going to get the ketchup, awkwardness? The set-up for what was to follow?

7.The party, Sofie preparing to go, Amanda not being allowed to go, Emma and our not seeing any of her family, her going? Being awkward, the teenagers all around drinking, kissing? The boys and their taunt, Sebbe and his being drunk, taking Sofie to the room, the issue of the blow job, her not understanding, his exposing himself, her hitting him? Her upset, drinking, collapsing, the cruelty of the boys and all the photos that they took, everybody standing round, Emma watching and going home, Sebbe and his powerlessness? The consequences?

8.Sofie and the photos, the graffiti on her locker, everybody spurning her? Amanda abandoning her? Emma and her not knowing what to do, following leads? Sebbe and his being mocked? The class, the girls and their response? Her father and his questions, his eventually seeing the photos, his anger and upset, his hurting her with his words? The fight with Mouse in the dining room, the teachers having to pull them back? The teacher celebrating the birthday, trying to do the right thing, Sofie’s fight with her? Sebbe and the visit, the Timbuktu record, their talking, walking near the station, his pass and her misinterpretation, her running away? Phoning Amanda during the night and being put off? Wandering, seeing the party, going through, jumping from the window? Her concussion, hospital, her father taking her home?

9.Amanda and her prim style, Beatrice and her friendship, sitting next to her in class, their talking, the model school, the catwalk, the rumours? The phone call and Amanda’s reaction? Seeing her at the party, feeling of guilt at the fall? With Emma, the phone calls, the reconciliation? Emma and her being fat, her taunts to Beatrice? Her being stood up? Wanting to be Sofie’s friend? Her finally telling Beatrice off? Amanda pouring the drink over her? Saying that she was the boring person?

10.Mouse, the photos, his behaviour? The girls looking up to him, the boys following? In the dining room, the invitation to Sofie, the photos? The aftermath? The confrontation, the fight, Sofie and her taunts and people laughing at Mouse?

11.The teacher, three weeks from graduation, her earnest way of teaching, guiding the children, the clashes with Sofie after trying to help, the discussions with her father, the humiliation of the teacher and her wanting to give up?

12.Sofie’s father, his being abandoned by his wife, both mother and father to his daughter, trying to communicate (and reading the book about how to communicate)? His hurting her by his words, the reconciliation, their talking and sharing, the collage of their being together?

13.The effect of her fall, feeling that she was worthless, that her father blamed her, the memory of her mother? His coming and the reconciliation? The phone calls from the girls, her turning them away? The final coming together, her strength of character? A hope for her future?