At first glance, the animated films in the Nordic showcase seem as diverse in topic as they are in style. But as we take a closer look, some recurrent—and very Nordic—themes surface. For instance, there is the existential desperation of living in a well-functioning social democracy, where the fight for survival was already won by former generations. This forms the backdrop to Niki Lindroth von Bahr’s Annecy winner The Burden and Something to Remember, Torill Kove’s Maybe Elephants and Gísli Darri Halldórsson’s Oscar nominated Yes People—all told with melancholic humour. An irreverent approach to national heroes and cultural giants is evident in Øyvind Tangseth’s Dead Weight, Kristian Pedersen’s Goddammit and Elli Vuorinen’s Still Lives. We also offer a take on H.C. Andersen’s fairy tales like you’ve never seen before, in the Annie-nominated The Swineherd by Magnus Igland Møller and Peter Smith. Finally, as a region famous for sexual liberation and gender equality, the themes of love and sex, power and passion, body and pain, are evergreens in the Nordics. In our selection they are told with fresh and frisky brushstrokes by female auteurs: Sara Gunnarsdóttir in her Oscar-nominated My Year of Dicks, Elli Vuorinen in Flower Show, Heta Jäälinjola in Nun or Never!, Martina Scarpelli with Egg, and Carolina Sandvik with The Lovers.
Enjoy these selections!
Tonje Skar Reiersen (Nordic Animation)
Curator of the programme
Before the screening, Irene Sparre from Denmark’s Sparre Production will give a brief introduction on the values that connect their studio to Nordic animation.
