In a world that seems to slip ever further into fear, hate, and violence, we firmly believe in the power of stories to guide us through and out of dark times. This movie is our small effort to shine a light into the lives and hearts of those we know that need our support right now. Nobody is free until everyone is free.

Paradise is a full length motion picture musical that takes place in the small town of Paradise, somewhere in the state of Kentucky in the US.

The local coal mine has just closed and the company lets everybody go without paying them their last few weeks of wages. There is no union in Paradise, but led by the young worker “Jojo”, some of the miners take it upon themselves to block the train tracks leading out of town, trapping the last fully loaded coal train at the mine. The miners refuse to let the train and its valuable cargo leave until they all have been paid their rightful wages.

Jojo hails from an old and proud mining family, but after his highly respected father died in a mining accident a few years back, he is both filled with a sense of deep loneliness and a profound sense of responsibility to care for his community and the members in it. Sadly, the miners are not experienced with neither activism nor unionization, and it soon seems like it is only a question of time until they will have to give in and let the company win.

But just as defeat seems a near certainty, everything is shaken up when a group of queer activists and drag performers from New York arrive in Paradise. Led by Stephen, a bearded and burly man, the new arrivals start teaching the initially reluctant group of miners how to organize. The fact that Stephen is a trans man, that he grew up in Paradise, and that he is also Jojo’s uncle is only known to himself. But all of these will of course be revealed as the story unfolds…

Paradise is a story about masculinity in a world that is changing faster than most men, both young and old, are able to keep up with. It is a story about deeply held convictions, about conflict and reconciliation, and about how all these seemingly small things that unite us have the power to overcome those that break us apart.

Paradise is inspired by a true story.

Kjell is Paradise’s Lead Writer.

Even though he is an experienced narrative designer, game designer, immersive experience designer,
and generally a natural born storyteller, Paradise is Kjell’s first full length movie script.

His love for music with deep folk roots, his considerable experience from activism, politics, and union work, and
his strongly held beliefs in the power of storytelling to bring people together, have all prepared him to weave the

intricate web of stories that interconnect the people of Paradise unto the big screen.

Josephine is Paradise’s Producer.

Even though production is her main task on this project, her deeply diverse experience from
everything from game design, via stage performance, to script writing, makes Josephine an integral
part of the writing of Paradise too.

Her experience as a creator of queer art and performance, and her connection to queer communities across
the globe, has given Josephine the insights and experience she needs to help bring
the stories of the visitors to Paradise to life.

The development of Paradise is supported by: