Alba August is currently starring in the film Stockholms blodbad, and she will soon be entering the theater stage while working on her own music. Working really, really hard is her survival strategy.
Photo Martin Kiessling & Scanbox Entertainment

We shot everything in Budapest and Prague. It was crazy fun and quite demanding. It was muddy, wet, muddy and cold. But I'm pretty used to that as an actor. Sometimes it's like you get paid to freeze.

Alba August is currently one of Sweden's most talked about and acclaimed actors and artists. As an actress, she had her big breakthrough as Astrid Lindgren in the film Unga Astrid, and her debut album
which came out in 2021 was nominated for a Grammy. Now Alba August unleashes her inner action hero in this winter's big action movie Stockholms blodbad. The film is directed by Mikael Håfström and the story is inspired by the bloody events that took place in Stockholm 500 years ago. The power-mad Danish King Kristian II (Claes Bang) spares no expense when he plans to take over the crown of Sweden from Sten Sture (Adam Pålsson). At the same time, sisters Freja and Anne (Alba August and Sophie Cookson) swear to mercilessly take revenge on the men who brutally murdered their family. Everything culminates in the Swedish capital, where the sisters are drawn into the intrigues surrounding the mass execution ordered by Kristian the Tyrant - Stockholms blodbad. Action, attitude and dark humor are combined in a story where surprisingly much actually happened for real.

INRIKES meets Alba August via Zoom. She is in her home in Stockholm. She is sitting at a table and in the background is a white wall with several works of art and framed posters as well as a well-stocked bookshelf. Alba looks relaxed. She fiddles with her hair a little and answers our questions thoughtfully.

Tell us a little about Freja, the role you play in the Stockholm massacre..
– She is a mute noblewoman whose entire family is slaughtered. It is a revenge story where you follow Freja and her sister as they try to find the Danes who murdered their beloved. She feels like she is taken from a Tarantino movie. She is tough and doesn't have much emotion on the outside, an effect of all the traumatic events she goes through.

There may have been many women like Freya historically, but nothing has been written about them.
– Exactly, it's like when you make films that are based on historical events that you have to invent the female characters, because they don't exist in history books. I hope the film will attract people to take an interest in this part of our history. The film is made with humor and modernized in its own way, and that might capture the interest of an audience that isn't already history nerds.

Stunts, horses, armor, sign language, archery – there’s definitely a lot of action for you in the movie. Was it a demanding role to do?
– We shot everything in Budapest and Prague. It was crazy fun and quite demanding. It was muddy, wet, muddy and cold. But I'm pretty used to that as an actor. Sometimes it's like you get paid to freeze, she says and laughs. But I remember that a lot of the stunt scenes were that you started filming at like 4 in the morning. I remember sitting in my trailer at 1 in the morning and trying to stay awake.
awake because I knew I was going to be on set soon and wrestle. So there were circumstances that were awkward, but it was so much fun. I love working physically. I don't always love talking or saying things unnecessarily, so it was grateful in that way. I think if it had been more socially accepted, I would have been happy to use sign language in everyday life.

What sign language did you use?
– It's English Sign Language. I had an app with me that I could practice with, and I had a coach available that I could contact. There was a lot of prep. I got there a few weeks before and prepared by riding and practicing different stunt choreographies.

What was it like working with the horses?
– I'm quite afraid of horses on set, not because of the horses but because people on set don't respect the horses. I've had similar experiences on other sets when someone in the team is swinging around with silver reflectors and other equipment that scares the life out of the horses. But in Budapest they are experts in that area, and have very experienced horses that can do everything. We had a horse that lay down and played dead in a very convincing way. The stunt teams are the best in Europe, so it was very luxurious to work with them.

What makes you accept a new film role?
– Every time I accept a role, it's because I want to try something new that's outside my comfort zone. That gets me excited. That's the best thing about my job.

Is it action that attracts you the most?
– No, you end up where you end up. When I was asked if I wanted to test film for the Stockholm massacre, I thought; 'how often is this type of Swedish history made into a film?' And so I wanted to work with the director Mikael Håfström, who I have worked with before. There is always such a buzz and good atmosphere on his shoots. I worked with him when I played a role in the film Quick. There are so many directors who are stressed and have performance anxiety and it kind of rubs off on you. But Mikael is fantastic to work with.

What makes Mikael a good director?
– He likes to work with people he trusts and then he gives you quite a lot of freedom and responsibility. I've always felt when I've worked with him that he knows that I know what I'm doing. It gives you quite a lot of room to play and you can play and try different things. There are many actors who like to be directed a lot and be guided how things should be. But with Mikael you get to be involved and decide for yourself and I think that's the most fun thing about being an actor – that you get to be creative.

Will you direct yourself in the future?
– Yes, when the time is right. Maybe in ten years.

Tell us about your life and work with music. You are an incredibly skilled songwriter and singer.
– Thanks a lot. You have to be honest about what you do, but it can be hard to explain to yourself why you do it and whether you can change anything. I think others can see it better than I can. I've had someone write to me and say 'oh my god, it's good that you put your finger on this feeling'.

In a family where almost everyone works with film in one way or another, it must be very likely that music is your thing, and that you do something that you are so good at but no one else in the family does.
– Yes, really. Music is just my thing and even in work it's just my thing – in every way. When I make a song, I'm the only one who decides everything, which can really be really difficult because you can do exactly what you want. In the film world, everything is under such enormous time pressure and then it's luxurious to make music because there you have all the time in the world in the actual creation and there's time to test different ideas.
But sometimes I find that my habit of working with film makes me impatient when working with music. I have a fast pace and want things to go quickly in the studio.

It must be very personal with the music compared to a film where there are many others involved in everything from the script and direction to acting and editing.
– Yes, it's just for myself. When I do PR for my music, it raises a lot more emotions and anxiety afterwards, compared to if I'm going to sell a film. Because music is so revealing and you really have to defend to yourself why you should feel you have the right to take that place. It raises big questions, should you make music to change the world or should it just be to create pleasure. I often think those kinds of thoughts.

When you write music, how do you get started?
– I usually start by asking myself what world I want to be in, visually almost, and what feeling I want to be in. I've worked a lot with a producer named Tobias Fröberg and we've jammed our way to melodies we like. The words are usually almost the last thing that comes to mind. But I often have a plot or a feeling in my head while the melody develops and then I put words to the story as I go.

You always seem to have many different projects going on? What are you doing this winter and spring?
– First of all, Stockholm's Bloodbath is premiering, so there will be a lot going on around that. I'm also working on new songs. I'm going to play a role at Stockholm City Theatre and write some music for it. And then I'm going to tour Sweden this spring. I'm in the middle of everything all the time. Sometimes it feels like I'm not doing anything, but on the other hand, you never let go. You're constantly looking for things to inspire you. I've made a TV series in Denmark called Bullshit. It's about a motorcycle gang in the 80s who were wreaking havoc in Christiania. It's a well-known story. It's premiering this summer. Then comes season 2 of Alla utom vi, which my ex, Björn Gustafsson, and I did quite a while ago. It's about a couple trying to have children. So there's some stuff coming up that I'm really excited about. I'm looking forward to the tour, it feels really fun. And in all that, you're going to have to find an everyday life.

As an actor and artist, you are a freelancer and work on many different projects. Do you feel comfortable in the role of an entrepreneur?
– I have a small company that is working on a lot of different projects. Sometimes I also have short-term jobs, if I work with a theater for example. It's a bit special that you never have security when you're a freelancer. Maybe it has something to do with how I was raised, I was always taught that you should secure yourself by working really, really hard. I was raised to be very independent. But I also feel that if I don't give it my all, I'll end up in
the street, like. I have a constant worry that everything is going to go to hell – a classic insecure person.

How do you deal with your celebrity status? Do you get recognized all the time?
– It's not something I think about that much. Fame is nothing really. Some people look one way and then everyone else looks that way. In my head, I can't really understand what it's all about. It's not a talent to be famous. Sometimes young girls come up and say they like something I've done and then I'm so happy and then what I'm doing feels meaningful. Every time I accept a role, it's because I want to try something new that's outside my comfort zone. I get excited about that. It's the best thing about my job.

3 QUICK
Alba August currently likes to…
…listen to The Blaze.
… watch the TV series Fargo. “But I usually prefer documentaries, I’m so work-injured that I just think I’m on set when I watch fiction.”
… do Megaformer training. “It’s a full-body workout where you move around on a machine and lift different weights.

ALBA AUGUST
Age: 30.
Occupation Actor and artist.
Bor Stockholm.
Family Boyfriend Pontus Winnberg, music producer. Alba's mother is Pernilla August, actress, director and screenwriter, father is Billie August and is a director and screenwriter. Alba says she has 'a hundred' (!) siblings, all of whom work in film.
Career in brief: Alba made her film debut at the age of 17 with a leading role in the film Intimacy. She studied theater at the Scenekunstskole in Copenhagen. She had her big break as Astrid Lindgren
in the film Unga Astrid. We have also seen Alba in the Danish Netflix series The Rain and in the film Quick. Alba's debut album I Still Hide was released in the fall of 2021. The album was nominated for both Grammis and P3 Guld. Now she is currently working on her new EP I Wish I Was Someone Else.
Currently The film Stockholms Blodbad, which will premiere in theaters on January 19th.