The Dialogue Police

In Sweden, people have a right to freedom of expression, and the dialogue police are there to protect that right. Created in the wake of 2001 anti-EU protests in Gothenburg, where police shot three protesters, the unit is tasked with managing relationships with demonstrators to prevent violence (rather than reacting to it) and to de-escalate effectively, when necessary.

THE DIALOGUE POLICE is a vérité-style documentary that follows this unit closely as they mediate between protesters, the public, and even their own colleagues who, in some cases, seem overly enthusiastic about dragging demonstrators away and arresting them. We also see them in more intimate moments, as they grapple with the ethics of the job, and try to stay neutral even as they’re insulted by citizens of all political persuasions. (“You’re not very good at dialogue,” one demonstrator says. “Has anyone ever told you that you’re a useful idiot?” another asks.) One of the team members, Nicole, is new to the unit, and finds it harder than her previous posting in major crimes and anti-gang investigations.

As Sweden exports this model to other countries, THE DIALOGUE POLICE offers an insider’s look at an alternative approach to policing protest. With humor and gravity, and from a unique perspective, the film explores the possibilities of dialogue, delving into one of the great existential questions of our time: can we uphold democracy and accommodate differences and conflicts without resorting to violence?