Starring Maya-Prinsessa (2009)

Directed by: Teresa Fabik | 91 minutes | drama, comedy, family | Actors: Zandra Andersson, Moa Silén, Anastasios Soulis, Maria Lundqvist, Thomas Hedengran, Grete Havnesköld, Christian Magdu, Isabelle von Saenger, Henric Brandt, Alexandra Algerydh, Björn Davidsson, Hanna Ekman, Eva Fritjofson, Jannike Grutrd, Rolf Lassgå

Maja Ingemarsson (Zandra Andersson) is a cheerful, talented eighteen-year-old girl who dreams of becoming a celebrated actress. There’s just one problem: Maja doesn’t exactly have the ideal figure to make it in Hollywood. Plus, she lives in a rural Swedish village – not a place where you should expect glitz and glamour. However, she is not deterred. When she meets documentary maker Erika (Moa Silén) at a wedding, she immediately offers herself, for whatever role. Erika, whose career is not really taking off and she has trouble making ends meet, decides to follow Maja with her camera and she becomes intrigued by the girl, who struggles through life in her own clumsy way. She hardly has any friends at school. During the theater lessons, it is striking how serious Maja is about acting and how little understanding her classmates have for her. Erika sees opportunities for a documentary about the girl and moves from her apartment in Stockholm to the cozy home of the Ingemarsson family to follow Maja 24 hours a day.

‘Starring Maja’ – released in Sweden under the title ‘Prinsessa’ – from 2009 plays with the struggles of teenagers in a pleasant way. The uncertainty about their appearance, the search for who they are, the pursuit of dreams. But the struggle of late twenties Erika is also discussed. Because it does not want to run smoothly with interesting assignments, she feels obliged to make wedding reportages: there must be bread on the table after all. But for someone in a creative profession, such straightforward, commercial assignments are above all a humiliation. Erika eventually sells her film idea to a producer who wants to release the documentary under the name ‘Phat’. She doubts whether she should accept the offer, because she really does not want to subject Maja to such an insult. But the bag of money beckons… Meanwhile, a classmate of Maja, Alex (Anastasios Soulis), struggles with his own problems. When he hears that Maja is going to Stockholm with Erika for television recordings (which Erika’s ex has arranged for her), he is eager to join them. He says he wants to visit his half-brother, but there’s more to it.

Director and screenwriter Teresa Fabik has created a fine humorous teen drama, in which recognizable themes are addressed in a light-hearted way. ‘Starring Maja’ is somewhat predictable, but approaches its subject matter in such an honest way that you lovingly condone that lack of originality. The film deserves its credit not least thanks to the disarming performance of lead actress Zandra Andersson, who wins the viewer’s sympathy in no time. This young actress has a lot to offer and also shows guts. It is to be expected that the actress draws from her own experiences. The other actors, who certainly don’t do it without merit, pale in comparison to Zandra’s radiant appearance. Anastasios Soulis has a nice appearance, unfortunately his storyline is somewhat meager. ‘Starring Maja’ is filmed loosely, in a documentary style, giving everything a realistic character. The film is at times reminiscent of Lee Daniels’ ‘Precious’ (2009), for example in the scene in which Maja dreams of being adored as an actress. However, ‘Starring Maja’ is much lighter, funnier and a lot less bombastic and dramatic. Unlike Precious, Maja comes from a warm family and has had a stable childhood. Her situation is a lot less extreme, which makes the film a lot more pleasant to look at than the sometimes gloomy ‘Precious’. The final chord is downright lyrical and uplifting. Fabik then lets go of all the brakes, so that you experience the credits bubbling with positive energy.

To label ‘Starring Maja’ as ‘Precious Light’ is a bit of an exaggeration, because the Swedes don’t take it nearly as hard as the Americans. But thematically, the films tie in with each other. ‘Starring Maja’ is a small but nice film from Sweden. The recognizable theme and the predictable course should not spoil the fun. This film is far from perfect and especially visually there may have been more to get out of it, but the captivating lead actress Zandra Andersson captivates her audience without any effort and the film works towards an ending that is sure to put a big smile on your face. Humorous teen drama that is also very easy for adults to digest. Talk about feel good!