Jana: Marked for Life (Swedish: Jana: Märkta för livet) is a Swedish television crime drama and thriller developed by Viaplay. It appeared on Viaplay's Australian partners SBS On Demand from 6 March 2024. It was initially scheduled for streaming in Europe by Viaplay in late 2023 but was cancelled owing to the company's downsizing. Its European debut was postponed to 19 April 2024 after Prime Video Nordics picked up the series.
The six-part series is based on Emelie Schepp's novel Märkta för livet (2013, English: Marked for Life), which features the protagonist Jana Berzelius, a public prosecutor. The TV series was co-created and directed by Felix Herngren and Henrik Björn. The screenwriters are Maria Karlsson, Daniel Sawka and Charlotte Lesche. Filming began in early 2023 in Norrköping and Stockholm. Jana is portrayed by Madeleine Martin, her adoptive parents are Margaretha (Pernilla August) and Karl (Johan Ulveson), with August Wittgenstein as lead prosecutor Peer.
Contents
Premise
After completing her qualifications, Jana is appointed assistant public prosecutor in Norrköping against the advice of her father, Karl. At Karl's retirement celebration, Hans visits Jana with concerns about a recent immigrant child, Victoria. Hans is later found murdered. When his murderer – a pre-teen child – is also found killed, Jana recognises a Θ scar symbol on the boy's neck, the Greek letter theta, which signifies Thanatos. She has a similar scar on her nape, Κ for Ker. Jana cannot recall much of her early childhood but determines that these murders are linked to her past. She becomes part of Hans and Thanatos's murder investigations alongside Peer and police officers Mia and Henrik. Jana tries to understand her childhood better while facing discouragement from both Karl and the psychologist she saw as a child, Monica. Jana takes in her adoptive sister, Jojo, who has drug-related debt issues. Victoria goes missing after being visited by another child-soldier, Phobos.
Hans was searching for missing shipping containers and Jana succeeds in finding one, which was dumped in 1996. It contains 12 human skeletons – evidence of trafficking. Jana realises this was how she had been transported to Sweden. Jana re-encounters fellow former child-soldier Hades, who warns her against continuing her search. Mia confronts one of the trafficking network's leaders, Leo, who starts shooting. Henrik is seriously injured and Leo is arrested. However Leo pleads self-defence and while being transferred to prison he is killed by Phobos, abetted by Hades. Jana finds the island where she was trained by Baba and attempts to rescue Victoria (renamed Lyssa). Baba captures Jana and, with Hades, tortures her. They are surrounded by Baba's child-soldiers. Although injured, Jana escapes with Victoria while Baba is killed by Hades. The other child-soldiers are found by police except Hades and Phobos, who elude them.
Cast and characters
Main cast
Madeleine Martin as Jana Berzelius (previously: Ker): has Κ scar on her nape, former child-soldier, adopted by Karl and Margaretha at 11 years old. Becomes assistant public prosecutor, joins Hans's murder investigation
Pernilla August as Margaretha Berzelius: Jana's adoptive mother, displays signs of dementia
Johan Ulveson as Karl Berzelius: retired chief public prosecutor, Jana's adoptive father
August Wittgenstein as Peer Bruckner: lead prosecutor, heading Hans's murder investigation, Jana's supervisor, Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) practitioner
Suzanne Reuter as Monica Grandkvist: forensic psychiatrist, child psychologist, treated Jana
Moa Gammel as Mia Bolander: Violent Crimes Unit police officer, investigates Hans's murder
Fredrik Hallgren as Henrik Levin: police officer, works with Mia
Sigrid Johnson as Louise "Jojo" Berzelius: Jana's adoptive younger sister, she turns 17
Peshang Rad as Hades a.k.a. Danilo Peña: former child soldier, Jana's contemporary, Baba's second-in-command
Additional cast
Mahmut Suvakci as Amin Telmen: police officer
Sukai Saine as Victoria (renamed Lyssa): child, human trafficking victim, escaped Baba, retaken by Phobos
Inanna Kino as Unga Ker (English: Young Ker [Jana]): child soldier, contemporary with Hades
Efe Özay as Unga Hades (English: Young Hades): child soldier, contemporary with Jana
Matilda Gross as Phobos: child soldier-assassin, kidnaps Victoria
Richard Forsgren as Torsten "Tord" Granath: chief prosecutor, Karl's successor, Peer and Jana's boss
Anna Sise as Annelie Lindgren: forensic examiner
Astrid Assefa as Karita: community care centre supervisor, looked after Victoria
Mela Tesfazion as Emma Levin: Henrik's wife
Isabelle Kyed as IT - Jasmine: police IT technician
Robert Fohlin as Tomas Rydberg: harbour security officer, fights Jana and is killed by her
Roman Aschberg as Thanatos: has Θ scar on his nape, masked child (10 to 12 years old) soldier-assassin, killed Hans but murdered soon after
Asanda Kokkonen as Makda Abraham: 18 years old, asylum-seeker, Hans's lover
Adam Stålhammar as Fabian/Fabbe: Jojo's drug dealer
Production
Jana: Marked for Life was developed by Viaplay and FLX based on Märkta för livet (2013), the first book in a four-part series, by Emelie Schepp, which introduces Jana Berzelius as a public prosecutor. Viaplay's adaptation was announced in September 2022.
The television series was co-created by Felix Herngren and Henrik Björn, who also directed it. The screenwriters are Maria Karlsson, Daniel Sawka and Charlotte Lesche. Filming began in early 2023 in Norrköping and Stockholm.
Viaplay scheduled it's six episodes for streaming in Europe from late 2023. However, Viaplay cancelled the series when the company downsized during mid-2023, and it was picked up by Prime Video Nordics.
Broadcast
The series was streamed on Viaplay's Australian partners, SBS On Demand from 6 March 2024. Prime Video previewed the series in March 2024 and streamed it from 19 April 2024.
BBC iPlayer bought Jana: Marked for Life in April 2024. The series was broadcast on BBC Four in the UK on 8 June 2024.