Where eagles fly

Success! A word that exactly describes SVT’s series ‘Eagles’. And the fact that it has also given Oskarshamn a huge amount of publicity can only be a good thing. Born in Oskarshamn, filmmaker Stefan H Lindén is delighted by the audience’s response.

Stefan was already planning his own TV series as a teenager.
“I was watching lots of American series at the time,” recalls producer and scriptwriter Stefan H Lindén. “Back then there wasn’t anything similar on Swedish TV, and I felt there was a gap to fill. I wanted the series to have some kind of link with hockey or football.”

Since Oskarshamn is a hockey city, the sport became one of the main ingredients of the series. The series is centred on the Eagles hockey team at Be-Ge Hockey Center, and it will eventually include eight episodes.

“It’s true that you should write about what you know, and since I’m an Oskarshamn resident through and through, the scene of action became my home city, and the subject hockey.”

Successful series

During Stefan’s years studying film, he developed the idea of a TV series set in Oskarshamn, and when director Amanda Adolfsson came on board, the decision was made.

“I’d seen some of her previous work and she was also born and grew up in the city,” explains Stefan. “Our dads knew each other, so I’ve often heard stories about Amanda who moved to Stockholm and made films. Just like I’d always dreamed of doing.”

Oskarshamn is now a common sight on SVT Play. ‘Eagles’ is about teenagers in a teenagers’ world. It’s about hockey, social media and love.

“I love the format and the concept,” says Stefan. “And when you’re doing something like this and you’re surrounded by people who share your vision, then you naturally give it your all.”

After the first four episodes, everyone’s talking about the success of ‘Eagles’.

“The viewing figures are fantastic compared with similar series from the past five years,” reveals a proud Stefan.

Premiere

For inveterate Oskarshamn residents, some scenes can appear a little illogical. A scene can start in one place, continue somewhere else and end in a third location.

“It’s about finding the right locations,” explains Stefan H Lindén. “Only those of us who live here know that a scene is starting at Oscarsgymnasiet and ending at Forum, and it’s quite fun really.”

The premiere party for ‘Eagles’ was held at the beginning of March at the Sagabiografen cinema in Oskarshamn. Three auditoriums were packed to the rafters with everyone who had been involved in the production.

“It was a bit nerve-wracking,” admits Stefan. “We had ‘borrowed’ Oskarshamn from everyone in that audience, and to watch them responding to what we had created in such a fantastic way was just wonderful. It really was a labour of love!”

You can now follow ‘where eagles fly’ in Oskarshamn and see some of the filming locations up close. Talk about being in the heart of the action!