About the film 

THE MAN WHO WOULDN'T CRY (2021)

Swedish title: Mannen som inte ville gråta

16 min | Animation, Short, Comedy

This absurd short film is about a man who tarnishes the company's reputation when he refuses to mourn the death of a beloved actress and now his professional and social life is in jeopardy. His boss pressures him into shedding tears over the actress and locks him in a room with a co-worker who will do anything to make him start crying.

Director: Emil T. Jonsson
Writers: Björn Boström (screenplay), Stig Dagerman (story)
Stars: Sissela Kyle, Christoffer Nordenrot, Jonas Österberg Nilsson
Produced by: Björn Boström och Emil T. Jonsson
See full cast & crew »

Filmmaker's Statement

We read Stig Dagerman's short story "The man who wouldn't cry" (Mannen som inte ville gråta) written in 1947 and were struck by how relevant the text is in the present time. The idea was born to modernize this story about a man who can't adapt to a hypocritical world and disingenuous social roles and we could connect the theme group cohesiveness versus independent thinking to behavioral phenomena we see in social media.

We imagined the beloved actress Sissela Kyle as the boss in the story and to our delight she accepted the role!

The film equipment company Light in a Room saw the film's potential and sponsored the production with equipment based on their vision of sharing both the joy in filmmaking and any surplus. The design agency Identity Works loved the concept and made their premises available where the film was shot.

People came together for a common love of a truly unique story and a creative project with a shared commitment to be a part of this colorful gem with its pertinent message. We are very proud of the result and that we all had the courage to realize our ambitions and we are proud to share our work with a larger audience. We are extremely grateful to all the skilled film workers who worked with us on the film.

"The man who wouldn't cry" serves as a "thank you card" to Stig Dagerman and his side as a political satirist. In a modernized version, we have wanted to highlight how his themes freedom of expression and individual rights are as important today. And challenge the limits of imagination with playful storytelling and an elevated and innovative form as well as the mix of humor and pain, fun and seriousness.

Cheers,
Emil & Björn

- Corey Bulloch, UK Film Review

«A jarring and significant statement about the farcical and exploitative systems of companies.« 
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
- Indie Shorts Mag.

«When I was contacted about Dagerman's text I was struck by how refreshingly alert it felt. Crass and humorous. I was very happy to be a part of this exciting production. The film shooting was fast and professional and the film turned out both interesting and really fun.« 
- Sissela Kyle

«Thanks to the amazing team behind "The man who wouldn't cry", an equally comic as topical eye-opener about the individual's struggle against conformity.«
- Lo Dagerman

«"The man who wouldn't cry" is an absolutely perfect absurd comedy that's also incredibly funny and creative.«  
- Caleb Wells, judging coordinator, Austin Comedy Film Festival

« A curious style and tone that really gives the film a defined personality. A fun little story with an excellent display of dark humour.« 
- Film Shortage 

« I thought this was really damn nice. A satire with a capital S. «
- TT Filmpodcast

«The world of the film is beautifully constructed, with each performance exhibiting finesse and sophistication.«
- Shorted

«The Man Who Wouldn't Cry is an amusing, kooky Swedish comedy short film. This short has some clever social commentary baked in, about how much pressure society puts on us..«
- Alex Billington, FirstShowing

«You just have to sit down and watch "The Man Who Wouldn't Cry"! A short film filled with wonderful dark humor that accurately depicts the mentality of many in today's upside down world!«
- Filmparadiset

Media coverage

« Filmtopp.se
« Mackans Film 
« Spel och Film 
« Filmcafé
« TT Filmpodcast  
« UK Film Review
« Indie Shorts Mag. Review
« FirstShowing Review 
« Filmparadiset
« Matthew Toffolo Interview