Stills-film from a carnival in Gothenburg (Göteborg), Sweden.For more than thirty years the Gothenburg suburb of Hammarkullen has been host of anindependant local carnival in the month of May. By now the reputation has spread considerably, even beyond Swedish borders. Guest performers from other countries can be seen sometimes, but the bulk of the active carnival societies are from the Gothenburg area.Originally started by people with roots in South America, the carnival now also shows elements from the Near East, the Balkan and Africa.The Hammarkullen-Carnival stretches through four days. It is appreciated by many Gothenburgians, but has not always received goodwill and support from city authorities, who do not fancy popular events outside their own domain and control. Consequently, press reports have at times been ambiguous, often insinuating that such exotic and lively festivities go together with unruly behavior, alcoholic intoxication, crime and confrontations between different youth-gangs. Admittedly, all this exists in Sweden, as elsewhere, yet the Carnival has an impressive record of a very low level of these undesirable elements.These pictures are a small tribute and thank-you to all those phantastic people who make the event possible year after year and who have created something new and rather unique in this country lacking a carnival tradition of its own.

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