Sweden has been host to record numbers of migrants in recent years, including many fleeing war-torn regions to seek a more peaceful life in Europe. Nearly a quarter of a million migrants have arrived in this tiny country of fewer than seven million people, where the socially liberal government has provided them with shelter, meals and resources. There is no doubt that many inspiring personal success stories have come from this kind of generosity, and life has been made better because of it. Test tolerance examines the other end of the spectrum, revealing a nation’s real concerns amid its identity crisis.
By absorbing such an influx of immigrants, the fingerprints of the country and its many communities will inevitably change. But perhaps no one could have predicted the rise in gang activity, drug trafficking, violent crime and sexual assault.
A group of watchdog activists, outraged by the incompetence and inaction of the police and the government, prowl and patrol the most dangerous streets. They fight to return to the land they once knew, and to escape the violence and despair that engulfed their once peaceful community.
Their practices proved controversial, and they were often branded racists or vigilantes. The filmmakers accompanied some of them on nighttime patrols. They claim they have no prejudice against any particular race, ethnicity or religion; they just want to restore order so that their citizens can live without fear. Some have accused the apathetic government of failing to enforce the restrictions many citizens have demanded.
The filmmakers spoke with other figures at the center of the immigration debate, as well as several immigrants who shared their difficulty adjusting to questionable surroundings.
Testing Tolerance enters turbulent territory that may irritate some viewers, but it makes points worth considering.
Directed by: Aleksandr Avilov
