Gräns (Border, dir. Ali Abbasi, 2018) and borders: transnational ties, Nordic roots, Swedish knowledge in critical reception

Abstract

ABSTRACT Gräns (Border, dir. Ali Abbasi, 2018) crosses geographical, generic, gendered, and speciated borders. It speaks to Nordic folkloric traditions and engages with Swedish socio-political issues. It also addresses broadly familiar concerns and draws on recognized genre conventions. Critical reception was polyphonic, demonstrating how much readings are produced within and delimited by specific geo-political contexts. In today’s Western world, some cultural perimeters are widened; others are trampled.