Jonna (8) has lived at the orphanage Sunnyside all her life. She always dreamt of a mother. One day a Gorilla drives up in an old car and adopts Jonna. It takes some time for Jonna to get used to the situation, but just as everything starts becoming good, the local authorities threaten their existence.

I was recommended Frida Nilsson's novel by a friend, and I just got a crush on the story immediately! I just thought that it had such a potential, especially through animation, where we are free to colour and adapt the world to something new. This film has taken me three years to make, together with a dream team from Sweden, Norway and Denmark. Working with animation is like creating a big moving collage, where the artwork, animation, music and voices slowly get to become moving picture images.

Director/producer Linda Hambäck, born 1974, has been active in the film industry since the late nineties. She trained at the National Dramatic School of Arts as producer and graduated from EAVE in 2002. In 2011, Linda started her own business, LEE Film, and the film and TV series on Stina Wirsén’s "Little Pink and Brokiga" was the company’s first project. Linda works mainly with animated films for children, and her first highly recognised feature GORDON & PADDY had its world premiere in competition at the Berlinale Generation 2018. Previous films have been BAJSFILMEN (2016), TÄNK OM… (2014) as she co-directed with Marika Heidebäck. But she has also directed a short documentary, FIGHTING SPIRIT (2013). Before her directing debut she had a long background with producing highly acclaimed shorts. During the Swedish National Guldbagge Awards ceremony in 2019, Linda received the prestigious GULLSPIRA Award for outstanding achievements in childrens’ film.

THE APE STAR is her second feature (2021).

FILMOGRAPHY:
2021 - APSTJÄRNAN
2017 - GORDON & PADDY
2016 - BAJSFILMEN
2014 - TÄNK OM…
2013 - FIGHTING SPIRIT