To Cook a Bear

Autumn is heavy over northern Sweden in the mid-19th century. The ground is damp, the air raw and the forests seem to be carrying secrets. When a young woman is found dead on the outskirts of a small community, panic quickly spreads. Rumors point to a bear as the culprit, but for preacher Lars Levi Laestadius, something is not right. As more deaths occur, the village's tranquility turns into something claustrophobic. Faith and science collide and the line between justice and lynching becomes dangerously thin. In a time when the church and folk beliefs control people's thoughts, the search for truth becomes as dangerous as the murderer himself. What begins as a hunt for a bear develops into a merciless fight against both outer and inner darkness.—Filmdienst