A few years ago, Johan Jönson released the acclaimed book “Efter arbetsschema” (After Work Schedule) through Bonniers publishing house. An extraordinary 800-page poetic self-confession, diary, and contemporary reflection. Since then, he has published two more poetry works, each around 1000 pages long, been involved in last year’s class hate debate, and has been hailed as one of Sweden’s most significant working-class poets. Johan Jönson presents a new way of looking at the world he inhabits. He writes as candidly about himself as he does about the people he encounters. He doesn’t shy away from violence, self-hatred, and the unsettling thought impulses that pass through his mind. At times, he writes with a twisted, brutal humor.

The film delves into Johan Jönson’s world: elderly and disabled care facilities, emergency rooms, the writer’s refuge known as “the bunker,” factories, call centers, restaurants, and job centers. This documentary navigates through a concealed public realm, capturing the essence of contemporary society. For many years, Johan Jönson has worked in industries and healthcare, often on night shifts. In a unique manner, he captures this timeless Swedish reality. Jönson’s depiction of the conditions of work is unvarnished, yet it also carries a tenderness when observing the workers.

The poets children ask if they are poor. He describes his disadvantaged position. The anxiety and inadequacies. The lack of money. How he struggles against his own body, his obesity, his pain, and his anger against the injustices he witnesses.

Erik Pauser has created this film in close collaboration with photographer Lars Tunbjörk, who is responsible for cinematography in a film for the first time.

“After Arbetsschema” is produced by AMP Film in co-production with SVT K-Special and with support from the Swedish Film Institute.

About the author Johan Jönson:He has won the Aftonbladet Literature Prize in 2008 and was nominated for the Nordic Council Literature Prize in 2009. His book “Livsdikt” (Life Poem) in 2010 received considerable attention and was nominated for the August Prize. In January 2012, he published his latest book, the 1200-page “med.bort.in.”

About the photographer Lars Tunbjörk (1956-2015):Tunbjörk’s photobook and exhibition “Landet utom sig” (Country Beside Itself) from 1993 made his humorous and surreal images of Swedish society known to a broader audience. In his projects, Lars Tunbjörk explored the reality of our time as it manifested in work life and leisure, in public spaces and at home. He was a frequent contributor to leading magazines worldwide, with The New York Times Magazine as one of his main communication channels. Lars Tunbjörk was a member of the photo agency VU in Paris and was represented by Galleri Nordenhake in Berlin.