The Man from Jupiter


Hans-Erik has been living isolated in a bubble for 45 years. Sitting behind his iron barred windows, he doesn’t answer the phone or open the door if somebody would ring the bell.
His decision not to have a single friend was taken when he was 16 years old, after a conflict with his one and only friend. His total isolation began when his mother died.
His childhood was strongly marked by a violent and overprotective father and a problematic school situation where he was badly bullied. His congenital heart defect kept him from running and playing like other children. The fact that he had got a minor brain injury after a heart surgery and was skinny like a stick with a pale blue skin, didn’t improve his life situation.
What still makes him want to get up every morning is his intensive work on a giant boat model. He has been working with it for nine years and now it completely occupies his living room.
The film is an exciting journey into a psychological landscape with an improbable development. Hans-Erik’s participation in the film makes him feel noticed and important for the first time ever and reluctantly he starts to reconsider his decision to isolate himself. Hesitantly he looks out of the bubble…



Erik Strömdahl


Studies at College of Art (interior architecture) in Stockholm 1968–73.
Architect work in Dublin 1973.
Studies of film science at Stockholm University 1974–75 .
Immigrant teacher (Gypsies) 1975–78.
Since 1975 full-time freelance filmmaker combined with film work at SVT.
In 1990 arranging “Around the Baltic” film festival at Gotland.

2004 Production manager. Since 1994 part-time teaching at “Kulturama” film academy.