For those who aren't familiar with Oscar rules, every country is only allowed to submit one film for the Best Foreign Film category.  It's an idiotic rule with a good intention (demonstrate worldwide filmmaking talent) that excludes the possibility that a country may have more than one amazing film.  But that's the rule, there's no indication it will change any time soon, and with that in mind, Sweden has chosen Pernilla August's Beyond ("Svinalängorna") as its submission to this year's Oscars.  That doesn't mean it will be nominated, but this is what Sweden thinks is its best shot.

And it's not a bad gamble if it stars rising star Noomi Rapace.  Rapace plays a "woman confronting her broken and traumatic past. As she visits her hometown and dying mother, a parallel story follows Lena as a child growing up with alcoholic parents in 1970s Swedish suburbs."  Hit the jump to check out the trailer and poster.  Rapace will be introducing herself to mainstream American audiences this December in Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows and next summer in Ridley Scott's Prometheus.

Heads up: the trailer has no English subtitles, but you can still get a sense of the visual style and tone (or at least the tone that the trailer wants to convey; I don't know if it's an accurate representation).  Trailer and poster via Moviezine.se. [We have now updated the trailer with a version that has English subtitles]