A Swedish dreamer chases ethical gold across continents—and pays the ultimate price for a boyhood dream.
2025-11-07
$0.1M
95 min
A film about the gold panning adventures of Hans Söderström, an indigenous Swede. The story stretches from Scandinavia to Africa, via Asia and the Americas, but ultimately boils down to the simple boyish dream of finding gold. Lots of it. And oneself.
The Gold Panner from Lannavaara” is a quietly engaging documentary that offers an intriguing glimpse into Hans Söderström’s stubborn pursuit of gold between the Arctic and Africa. It balances character study and adventure reasonably well, with evocative imagery and a memorable, if flawed, protagonist. While it leaves some ethical and emotional questions only partially explored, the film still manages to linger in the mind as a thoughtful, unconventional portrait of a modern fortune seeker.
