SYNOPSIS

Göran always wanted to become a father. He is married to his partner, Sven, and they have been cleared for adoption by the Swedish authorities. The problem is that no country seems to be willing to give a child to a homosexual couple. Göran refuses to give up his dream of having what so many others take for granted; a real family. Göran and Sven receive a letter with an offer from the social services to take care of "Patrik, Age 1.5," a Swedish child who needs a new family. They happily accept the offer and prepare the nursery for the baby’s arrival. On the day that little Patrik is expected to arrive, a lanky teenager rings their doorbell. He says his name is Patrik and that he has come to live with them. They realize, horror-struck, that their little baby Patrik is actually a juvenile delinquent. To add insult to injury, he is also homophobic.

They try to get in contact with the social services to put things right, but it’s the weekend and none of the staff is there. They just have to make due with the situation until the misunderstanding is sorted out. Patrik dislikes the situation as much as they do, and he is very open about his disgust with their relationship. One conflict after another arises between Sven and Patrik, but at the same time, the relationship between Göran and Patrik gets better. It turns out that Patrik knows quite a bit about gardening after some time at a juvenile home, and he offers to help out in the garden. As a result, Göran and Patrik grow closer, and Sven feels left out. 

When the weekend is over, they go back to the social services office. It turns out that there has been a clerical error and a decimal point was misplaced. "Patrik, age 1.5" is actually "Patrik, age 15". The baby that Göran was expecting does not exist. Göran is devastated, but decides to let Patrik stay with them until the social services find a new family. Sven decides that he cannot live with Patrik again and leaves Göran. When Sven returns a few days later, Göran does not want him back. After all that has happened, Göran lost faith in their relationship. Göran and Patrik keep getting closer to one another, and when Patrik is finally offered a new family, Göran is not sure that he wants to let him go.

DIRECTOR BIOGRAPHY ELLA LEMHAGEN, DIRECTOR

Ella Lemhagen wrote and directed “Patrik, Age 1.5” (Patrik 1,5) which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival.

Ella Lemhagen, born 1965, has studied film history at The University of Stockholm and directing at The Swedish National Film School. In 1986 Lemhagen was commissioned by Sveriges Television (The National Swedish Broadcaster) to direct a short film based on her own script. She has also studied in Paris for one term at a film school that specializes in documentaries.

In 1992, Lemhagen was selected to represent Swedish young talent at the World Fair in Seville, and in 1994 “The 13th Anniversary,” a film directed and written by Lemhagen, premiered at the Gothenburg Film Festival. The film won the Audience Prize for Best Short Film.

Lemhagen made her debut as a feature film director (also original screenplay) in 1996 with the highly praised “The Prince of Dreams,” which was nominated for a Guldbagge Award (Swedish academy award) for Best Director. It was also nominated for the Norwegian Amanda prize for Best Nordic Film. The film's cinematographer, Anders Bohman, was also nominated for a Guldbagge. The film was awarded the Nordic Audience Award for Best Film at the Gothenburg Film Festival.

“Tsatsiki, Mum and the Policeman” was Lemhagen's third feature film and became a great success, both nationally and internationally. The film was awarded at many film festivals. In 2003 Lemhagen directed “Immediate Boarding” produced by Filmlance/Charlotta Denward & Tomas Michaelsson.

After finishing “Immediate Boarding”, Ella started writing “Patrik, Age 1.5.”

DIRECTOR FILMOGRAPHY:
1. Patrik, Age 1.5 (2008)
2. Immediate Boarding (2003)
3. The Railroad Hotel (TV, 2003)
4. If Not (2001)
5. Tsatsiki, Mum and the Policeman (1999)
5. Welcome to the Party (1997)
6. The Prince of Dreams (1996)
7. The 13th Birthday (short, 1994)