The first thing most people learn about Sweden is the fika culture. The classic coffee and cake or buns is a huge hit with tourists and new arrivals getting into Swedish society. What’s more interesting is that you get different definitions of fika or what’s the most important part, with every person you speak with.
I recently caught up with Fabian Schmid who is an Audiovisual Media student at the Zurich University of the Arts. He has been working in a very interesting web series called “fika: to have coffee”.
“I wanted to make a web documentary series, that attempts to portray a small but essential part of Swedish everyday life”, Fabian told me.
“After studying in Gothenburg for a year, I noticed this huge culture and wanted to learn more about what is was all about. Since then, I’ve visited various cafés and talked to many people about the essence and concept of fika.”
Fabians goal was to learn and investigate about Swedish people’s relation to fika, and about the stories they had to tell about it.
I this second episode, Fabian looks into the social aspect of fika and what it can bring to the different people he interviews. Whether you fika with friends, a colleague, or on your own, fika is something that can be enjoyed by everyone.
You can view the second episode here, and view the whole web series on the to have coffee website.