New Nordic Cinema Showcase 2012

Details

Parent Category: Film Festivals

Category: Previews

Published on Thursday, 16 February 2012 05:00

Written by Sean Cusack

A rare treat for any foreign film buff, the Scandinavia House of New York City brings some of the most influential and successful Nordic films to the streets of the Big Apple.

Featuring popular award-winning films, from Denmark, Finland, Greenland, Norway and Sweden you will not find anywhere else, including performances by Stellan Skarsgård from The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and the upcoming summer blockbuster The Avengers, the New Nordic Cinema Showcase allows a glimpse into the rapidly expanding and evolving film industry of the Scandinavian countries. The showcase runs from February 29th – May 4th in the Victor Borge Hall. All films are subtitled in English.

Some of the films featured in this year’s showcase include:

Inuk (2010)
Director Mike Magidson’s feature film debut is a stunning coming of age adventure about a 16 year-old boy who is taken from his broken family life in the capital city of Greenland and placed in a home for troubled youth in the remote north of the country.

What follows is a dramatic, arctic journey as Inuk (Gaaba Petersen) and the other teens at the center are led by Inuit hunter Ikuma (Ole Jørgen Hammeken) on a cross-ice voyage where they will be forced to grow into adulthood and face their troubled pasts.

King of Devil’s Island (2010)
This true story of the infamous Bastøy Boys Home correctional facility in Norway begins with the arrival of 17 year-old Erling (Benjamin Helstad), a rumored murderer. He immediately clashes with the island facility's governor (Stellan Skarsgård), who believes manual labor, rigid discipline, and harsh punishment are the only methods that can turn the boys into honorable members of society.

When tragedy finally falls at the hand of the sadistic dorm master, Erling leads his comrades in a courageous and vicious rebellion that will bring them head to head with no less than the Norwegian Army.

A Somewhat Gentle Man (2010)
Ulrik (Stellan Skarsgård) is a somewhat gentle man. He has killed some people and crippled a few. But this sort of stuff is part of the job when working in the criminal world. Just like doing time in prison. Now Ulrik is out again. And Jensen (Bjørn Floberg) is waiting on the outside. He's a thug with professional pride.

He takes care of his people and is concerned with keeping things in order. It is important for the boss that Ulrik settles his account by shooting the man (Henrik Mestad) who ratted him out. Ulrik is a somewhat gentle man - but how gentle can he be?

Run Sister Run! (2010)
15 year-old Emilia (Ada Kukkonen) has always been the responsible one in her family. On the last day of summer break, Emilia meets Siiri (Sara Melleri), who seems to be everything Emilia wishes she was: brave, free, and independent. They bond immediately and Emilia´s life soon revolves around Siiri. But can freedom be found by living through someone else?

Soon, Emilia realizes she must find the courage to break free from Siiri in order to become her own person and find her own path- but it won’t be easy. Run Sister Run! tells the story of the turbulent relationship between the two girls as they test new boundaries and the bittersweet beauty of being young.

Glowing Stars(2009)
Jenna (Josefine Mattsson) is your typical seventh grade girl. She worries about her breasts not growing, why she is not as popular as Ullis (Mika Berndtsdotter Ahlén), and how she can get Sakke (Samuel Haus) to fall in love with her -- or at least notice that she exists. When Jenna's mother Liv (Annika Hallin) is diagnosed with cancer, however, they are forced to move to Jenna's grandmother (Anki Lidén), who lives next door to Ullis and her alcoholic mother. Despite their differences, the girls begin to develop a friendship that will help them stay true to themselves despite their increasingly complicated lives.

A Family (2011)
Ditte (Lene Maria Christensen) is part of a renowned family of bakers, the Rheinwalds. She is also a successful art gallery owner and constantly on the move. Having been offered her dream job in New York she immediately accepts and plans her greatest escape. But just as she is ready to leave, her dominating father Rikard Rheinwald (Jesper Christensen), master baker and purveyor to the royal court, falls seriously ill.

Ditte calls off the move to New York in order to be with him and before long Rikard demands that, in view of his illness, she takes her place in the Rheinwald family business and assume ownership of the bakery. Ditte is faced with the grueling decision: to pursue her own dreams, or to continue the legacy of her family. A moving and modern story about complicated family ties, the new wife, and the new kids - and about following your dreams to find your own place in history.

Tickets for individual screenings are $10 each and $80 for a series pass.

For showtimes and more, visit ScandinaviaHouse.org

New Nordic Cinema Showcase
February 29th – May 4th, 2012

Scandinavia House
Victor Borge Hall
58 Park Ave
New York, NY 10016

• < Prev
• Next >