The Gullspång Miracle might sound like the title of the newest, terrible Dan Brown novel. Thankfully, that is not the case at all, as director Maria Fredriksson is chronicling real life. Specifically, she documents the discovery that sisters May-Elin Storsletten and Kari Klo made when apartment hunting. The seller of one particular residence shares an uncanny resemblance to their eldest sibling, who supposedly killed herself 30 years ago. This lady, Olaug Bakkevoll, even went by the same nickname growing up as the supposedly dead sister, “Lita.”
Well, it is very soon discovered (some 15 minutes in or so) that Bakkevoll is not the sister who killed herself in the 1980s. No, it turns out that this new person is her twin. Now, Klo, Storsletten, and the rest of the family long to get to know Bakkevoll and try to piece together their family history. However, different upbringings, attitudes, and the truth of the death of Lita all those years ago threaten to tear asunder what should be a joyous time.
“The seller of one particular residence shares an uncanny resemblance to their eldest sibling…”
The Gullspång Miracle is as engaging and twisty as any fictional thriller. Fredriksson sets the documentary up as something sweet and inspirational. Then, the horrors of WWII enter the fray, and things take a true crime turn as the actual events of Lita’s demise are uncovered. Then it all lets loose, and a dysfunctional family drama ensues. For the sake of following everything, that description is more linear than things actually are in the film. Often, two or more of those elements are happening simultaneously. Through careful editing and tone management, the filmmaker ensures everything coalesces and the seemingly disparate parts strengthen the others. And yes, there are several more curveballs thrown that aren’t just this person is the twin; things get real and crazy and real crazy, in that order.
Storsletten and Klo are just adorable. Their love for each other and their family is never in question. Even when getting pushback from Bakkevoll on certain things, they still want to see the best in people. But when confronted with the truth, things get dicey for them, and a little bit of resentment or anger seeps in. By keeping moments like that in, it shows that, however well-meaning and sweet the siblings are, they are human and want things to play out like they’ve imagined. But as everyone knows, real life usually has other ideas.
There’s a scene halfway or so in which Fredriksson loses it. She goes off about how “someone lied,” and she was promised an “incredible story.” The Gullspång Miracle is worth watching just for that alone, as the breaking of the fourth wall to directly articulate what all watching are thinking is revelatory. That the documentary tells a wild, true story full of twists and turns and is populated by flawed but likable people makes it all the better.
For more information, visit The Gullspång Miracle Film Movement page.
"…a wild, true story full of twists and turns..."
