Psalms from Seventh Heaven
A world of forgotten stories, memories, and dreams.
Directed by Gustav Bondeson
Words by Katie Huelin
Director Gustav Bondeson collaborates with singer-songwriter Anna Ternheim to create Psalms from Seventh Heaven - a music video that unfolds more like a short film.
Set against the backdrop of the Swedish countryside, the film follows Anna on a drifting road trip sparked by found objects and forgotten stories. As she moves through open fields and quiet forests, fragments of memory and imagination collectively shape her creative journey.
Blending the visual freedom of a music video with emotional depth, Bondeson draws on influences like 90s road movies and themes of young love, building a world that feels both grounded and dreamlike. The result is a reflective film to accompany Ternheim’s song - one that captures moments of discovery, nostalgia, and the blur between past and present.
This project feels deeply personal and in sync with Anna’s music. How did your creative collaboration unfold? Did she have a vision for the film, or did your interpretation of her album shape the visuals?
Anna had the idea of stepping away from traditional music videos and instead exploring a new format, something longer. She brought this idea to me at the perfect time. For a while, I had been thinking about how to combine the visual freedom of a music video with the narrative depth of a short film, and this project was in many ways the ideal opportunity.
Over coffee, we instantly connected, sharing references and perspectives. From there, we got started. Anna gave me a few guiding words: a road movie, the ’90s, and young love, to name a few. Then, she handed me the creative freedom to interpret her album and shape not only this album film but also the broader visual world surrounding it. It was both challenging and incredibly fun.
The interplay between sound, music, and silence is striking - particularly in how it enhances the sense of memory and longing. How did you and Felicia Steen Holm approach sound design to complement the film’s themes?
From the very start, it was crucial for both Anna and me that the songs were not simply used as a soundtrack to the visuals. We wanted the film to stand on it’s own by telling it’s own story. and to achieve that, the music needed to take on a new life. By deconstructing the songs into their stems, we reshaped them to serve the story we were telling.
Felicia and our editor, Olha Dubas, were vital creative partners in this process. Olha uncovered stems in editing that gave the scenes that melancholy we aimed for, while Felicia seamlessly blended sound design with music.
In this story, we meet people at different stages of life, transcending time and space in an effort to create something that felt timeless. Felicia’s placement of the songs through the car and the radio, along with the transformation of a song into Anna’s humming, was just some of the things we worked with to tell this story and strengthen the connection between music and narrative.
The objects Anna discovers feel like portals into different stages of life. How did you craft this structure - moving between different characters and moments in time, while keeping the film cohesive?
I've always been drawn to the idea that old objects carry stories and memories within them. They serve as perfect stepping stones for the imagination. In this project, I found a way to use something as simple as a forgotten cap as a portal into Anna’s fantasy.
Structuring the narrative with Anna as the driving force, uncovering these objects, was key to making this short cohesive. It allowed us to explore different characters and stories, but getting there wasn’t easy.
What seemed like a smart approach in writing turned out to be a real puzzle in the edit. With so many different components to the story, finding the perfect rhythm and the right balance between clarity and allowing room for interpretation took a lot of fine-tuning.
Music videos come with a unique set of creative constraints and freedoms. What excites you most about directing them, and how did this project differ from your past music-related work?
The exciting part of this project was the opportunity to break away from the traditional concept of a music video. I've always wanted to challenge the medium, and this was a perfect chance to do so.
But what I love most about music videos is the collaboration, working with another creative person and seeing what unique ideas emerge from that process. This project was truly one of those special collaborations.
“In this story, we meet people at different stages of life, transcending time and space in an effort to create something that felt timeless.”
What kind of stories are you drawn to next?
I find myself returning to the idea of exploring a character’s relationship with the past. Right now, I’m excited about my new short film, where I delve into the concept of being able to change the past.
Anna Ternheim presents “Psalmer från sjunde himlen”
A film by Gustav Bondeson
Music by: Anna Ternheim, Joakim Berg & Martin Sköld
Directed by: Gustav Bondeson
Executive producers: Liz Dussault & Kim Buisson
Production company: ASPEKT
Producer: Ludvig Sörhus
Coordinator: Sandra Eriksson
DP: Pontus Norberg
1st AC: Viktor Envall
1st AC: Luciano Quinteros Ureta
Set Designers: Ylva Wedberg & Anna Cook
Costume Designer: Siri Gertonsson
Hair and Make-up: Elvira Brandt
Casting: Sandra Eriksson
PA: Vilgot Pu Camitz
PA: Jonathan Hesse
PA: Liam Andersson
Editor: Olha Dubas
Colorist: Didrik Bråthen (TMLS)
Sound design och mix: Felicia Steen Holm (Ponytail)
VFX: Jonathan Wendt
Title Graphic: Gustav Bondeson
Starring:
Anna Ternheim
Olivia Essén
Elias Elling
Dan Evertsson
Kersti Hallberg Rydh
Britt Håkansson
Thanks to:
Ponytail
Ljud & Bildmedia
Cameraten
Misgena MGMT
TMLS
Bad land