You Can Dance

A heart-warming romantic comedy about acceptance. A fantastic, DANCE-tastic story with a twist that proves it’s never too late to find your own rhythm, choose happiness, and embrace the golden years of life.

Director's note:

A drama comedy about LGBQT. Gunnar is a 75-year-old man who has lived his whole life in a lie. When he meets Sixten and starts dancing in an activity group at the Guldkanten nursing home, banned feelings arise: attitude and also denied it to himself. But the help is there in the form of granddaughter Molly and his new friends in the activity group. You Can Dance is a heart-warming and moving drama that oozes joy of life and humour. It is a genre and a tonality that we recognise from some of the most watched Swedish films of all time, such as The 100-Year-Old Who Stepped out the Window and A Man Named Ove. It is about the difficulty and necessity of making that choice – even late in life. My 18-year-old daughter came out to me earlier this fall as a bisexual. It showed me on a highly personal level how important it is that we continue to illustrate the dilemma and fear as accessible fiction that can touch and create acceptance and understanding – both for oneself and others.

Director's bio:

Film director Katarina Launing (1971) graduated from the Norwegian National Film School directors’ programme in 2001. She earned a scholarship from the State Culture Council in 2015. Her filmography includes Dragon Girl (2020), Battle (2018), and Kick It (2014).

Producer's bio:

Peter Krupenin began his career as sound engineer for an illegal radio station onboard a ship sailing the Baltic Sea. After a master’s degree in business administration 1972 at The Stockholm School of Economics, he received a grant to study film producing at the University of Southern California. Starting 1972, Krupenin got valuable experience through work with Ingmar Bergman, Jörn Donner, and in close cooperation with most Swedish and Nordic larger production companies, distributors, and film institutes. In 1991, Krupenin participated in the Media 92 EAVE producers’ training programme. Since 1982, Krupenin has produced more than 35 features primarily for HOBAB. Besides producing full-length feature films, Krupenin has initiated and produced a number of prizewinning short films and documentaries.

Company profile:

HOBAB is an international boutique production company based in Stockholm, Sweden, with a track record of more than 45 features produced. Heads of the company are Peter Krupenin and Nima Yousefi.

We produce high quality cinema that travels through borders via people hearts and minds leaving an impactful experience with the audience. Our philosophy is to provide the film makers a trustful playground to crystalise their vision so their stories can reach a broad audience without losing its edge.

Regardless of working with new talent or established filmmakers, our approach is to find connections with internationally attractive partners, both creatively and financially.