Festival 2021
January 7th - 10th
ANOTHER ROUND (Denmark – Oscar submission - feature)
There’s a theory that we should be born with a small amount of alcohol in our blood, and that modest inebriation opens our minds to the world around us, diminishing our problems and increasing our creativity. Heartened by that theory, Martin and three of his friends, all weary high school teachers, embark on an experiment to maintain a constant level of intoxication throughout the workday. If Churchill won WW2 in a heavy daze of alcohol, who knows what a few drops might do for them and their students? After positive initial results, the teachers’ little project turns into a genuine academic study, and the group feels alive again; . but as others go off the rails, it becomes increasingly clear that while alcohol may have fueled great results in world history, some bold acts carry consequences. “The best movie ending of the year”—New York; “An exhilarating, existentialist film about day drinking”—Vox; “One of the director’s most absorbing works”—The New Yorker
AGNES JOY (Iceland – Oscar submission - feature)
Trapped in a job she hates and a marriage that’s slowly dying, Rannveig’s burnout on her mundane suburban life is complicated by fights with her rebellious daughter Agnes, along with the impending likelihood that Agnes will soon grow up and leave her behind. For Agnes, making her own way in the world means finding a way to escape the tension at home, and experiencing freedom for herself. When a handsome new neighbor, Hreinn, shows up on their doorstep, both mother and daughter have an exciting new distraction from their issues. But when he begins to charm them both and develop different attachments to each, Rannveig and Agnes must navigate a whole new set of challenges. “Simple and plain, but yet so overwhelmingly vast and deep that one is without words… Amazing.”—Fréttablaðið
BLIZZARD OF SOULS (Latvia – Oscar submission - feature)
After witnessing the death of his mother at the hands of invading Germans, 16-year-old Artūrs, together with his father, decides to enlist in the national Latvian Riflemen battalions of the Imperial Russian army, hoping for revenge and glory. Though he is underage, Artūrs goes on with his father and brother to fight in World War I, where the thrill of training is soon followed by reality, as the shells burst around them and their lives are constantly in jeopardy. Adapted from the book by Aleksandrs Grins, which was banned in the U.S.S.R., the story was based on Grins’ own war experiences in a Latvian battalion, and has been the biggest box office success in Latvia in the past 30 years. Blizzard of Souls pays stark witness to the horrors and brutality of the First World War, as seen through the eyes of an innocent 17-year-old farm-boy turned soldier. “Atmospheric cinematography…A more realistic 1917″—The Hollywood Reporter
THE LAST ONES (Estonia – Oscar submission - feature)
A Nordic western set in the untamed Lapland tundra, The Last Ones follows young miner Rupi, who hopes to scrape together enough money escape the suffocating dust of his village. But when work comes to a halt after Rupi’s reindeer herder father refuses to sell his land — and when the manipulative mine owner sets aims on the wife of Rupi’s friend, whom Rupi is also secretly in love with — life in the mining village becomes more dangerous day by day, forcing him to examine where and to whom he belongs. Is it the tundra of his forefathers, or the cold terrain of personal gain? With Veiko Õunpuu’s characteristic crispness, The Last Ones explores the messiness of human nature and fate. “Vividly conveys a sense of place and of a faltering way of life…a naturalistic account of the hard-partying, hard-working mining community”—ScreenDaily
January 14th - 17th
CHARTER (Sweden – Oscar submission - feature)
Following a recent and difficult divorce, Alice has been unable to see her children in months, as her ex-husband keeps them separated while awaiting a final custody verdict in Northern Sweden. But when her son calls her one night, distraught and weeping, she returns to the North in an attempt at reconciliation — only to have her hopes dashed on arrival. In a last and desperate move, Alice abducts her children and flies with them to a charter resort in the Canary Islands. In one last attempt, Alice abducts the children, flying with them to a charter resort in the Canary Islands under the guise of a weeklong vacation. And as the clock ticks down on their discovery, she must do what she can to rekindle her children’s love and trust, before losing them completely. “A gutsy, discomforting look at some imperfect mothering.”—The Hollywood Reporter
HOPE (Norway – Oscar submission - feature)
Middle-aged couple Anja (Andrea Bræin Hovig) and Tomas (Stellan Skarsgård) have grown independent of one another over their long marriage, working at creative jobs in parallel worlds, with a large blended family of both biological children and stepchildren. But when Anja gets a terminal cancer diagnosis, their modern life breaks down and exposes its neglected love; and alone with her grief and fears, Anja realizes that she needs Tomas’ full help and support, and immediately, to ensure that her children will be able to weather the storm when she is gone. And as they are thrown into a crash course in mutual trust, Anja and Tomas discover each other anew, turning their tragedy into an unexpected love story. Based on the true-life experience of director and screenwriter Maria Sødahl — who returns to cinema after a nine-year hiatus after battling her own terminal cancer diagnosis — Hope is about a couple’s second chance in the midst of crisis, and of finding ways to love life. “Sødahl… is an artist of quiet, disciplined observance”—Screen International
NOVA LITUANIA (Lithuania – Oscar submission - feature)
As the young Lithuanian state celebrates 20 years of independence in 1938, the situation in Europe has become increasingly tense, as a new war looms on the horizon. In response to the growing tensions, geographer Feliksas Gruodis comes up with a novel solution: creating a “backup Lithuania” overseas, a place where the country’s inhabitants could move in case of danger. But in order to make his plan happen, he needs the support of the political elite. Based on the true-life story of Lithuanian geographer Kazys Pastas, Nova Lituania shows the dangers of nationalism when used for political power. “An elegant, offbeat fiction that is both steeped in pre-war Lithuanian history and starkly relevant to our current moment”—Variety
TOVE (Finland – Oscar submission - feature)
In 1945 Helsinki, the end of World War II has brought a new sense of artistic and social freedom for aspiring painter Tove Jansson. Modern art, dizzying parties and an open relationship with a married politician have put her at odds with her sculptor father’s strict ideals; and when she meets theater director Vivica Bandler, Tove’s desire for liberty is further put to the test as she finds herself immersed in an all-consuming love that she longs to have reciprocated. Meanwhile, her creative endeavors are taking her in an unexpected direction as a side project based on the tales she once told to frightened children in bomb shelters rapidly takes on a life of its own; inspired by her own life, the exploits of the Moomins soon bring Tove international fame and financial freedom, with a daily comic strip, a stage play, and stories that delight readers around the world. As Tove begins to discover her artistic identity, she must break away from unrequited love in order to be free. A captivating drama, Tove portrays the iconic talent’s creative energy and her turbulent search for identity, desire and freedom. “Tove beguiles audiences into the world of its characters”—Variety
January 21st - 24th
MY FAVORITE WAR (Norway/Latvia – Oscar submission - animated feature)
This is the personal story of the director, Ilze, growing up in Cold-War Latvia, USSR. It’s a coming of age story, a personal escape route from the mighty authoritarian regime’s brainwashing. An antiwar film, emphasizing the importance of an individual’s freedom being a democratic society’s fundamental right.
Life After Death (Finland – Oscar submission - feature)
Nisses wife Leila has just died, but he has mourned enough, with only some practical arrangements left to do. After deciding it’s going to be a small funeral — no fuss —Nisse soon finds himself overrun by sons, mothers, and friends, when all he wants is for everyone to do is leave him alone and stop the lamentation, to be alone with what remains: sorrow. But despite these wishes, he begins to understand that he’s not the only one with the right to say goodbye. A tragicomic film about an older man who manages to push the people around him away when he would need them the most, the film is also humorous in tone as the characters’ find difficulty in understanding one another. Life After Death is the first autobiographical film by Klaus Härö, and his first comedy.
SHORT FILMS
Featuring Nordic and Baltic Short Films that are eligible for Best Short and Best Short Documentary Academy Award.
Films include:
THE WEIGHT OF ALL THE BEAUTY
Süda Sõrve Sääres (Estonia, 2019; dir. Eeva Mägi). 24 min. In Estonian and English with English subtitles
For the men living in the Põdra village between sea and forest, the only one to play with is a bottle demon: Vodka Spirit. Villi, the only survivor of his group of friends (Urmas, Kalju, Heints and Väints), tells their stories and how they ended up being tricked by that spirit, taking us on a journey through his village, where the houses of his friends and protective old trees live on as if nothing had happened. And if everyone else is dead, how is Villi still alive? The Weight of All the Beauty is a poetical documentary about men who are full of beauty, love and vitality but also loneliness. Winner of the Best Estonian Documentary, Pärnu International Documentary Film Festival 2019; Young Filmmaker Award for Eeva Mägi, DocPoint Tallinn 2019; and Qualifying Abercrombine & Kent award for Best Documentary, Melbourne International Film Festival 2020.
IVO
(Norway, 2019; dir. Christina Lande). 18 min. In Norwegian with English subtitles
Sixty-four year-old Iben lives alone with her dog Ivo in the small coastal community of Lofoten, where she works as a schoolteacher. When a well-meant gesture leads a student to claim that he has been bitten by her dog, she faces a difficult decision when the other villagers demand that Ivo be put down. Winner of the Grand Prize Live Action Short, Rhode Island Film Festival 2020; nominated for The Gold Chair, Norwegian Short Film Festival 2019 & The Tromsø Palm, Tromsø International Film Festival 2020.
DUMMY
Atkūrimas (Lithuania, 2020; dir. Laurynas Bareiša). 13 min. In Lithuanian with English subtitles
Using a faceless doll, a criminal reenacts a brutal crime that took place in the woods. But surprisingly, he is not the one being judged — and there seems to be an odd person out in the investigative group. Winner of the Grand Prize, Festival REGARD Saguenay; Best Narrative Film, Palm Spring Short Film Festival; and more.
THE TONGUES
Njuokčamat(Norway 2019; dir. Marja Bål Nango and Ingir Ane Bål Nango). 15 min. In Sami with English subtitles
When a Sami woman is attacked by a man during a blizzard on the tundra while she is herding reindeer, her sister senses that something is wrong, and sets off in search for her. Wrapped in fear and confusion, both women will unite in their fight for revenge. Winner of Best International Short Film at the Palm Springs International ShortFest, and Best Director at the Rhode Island International Film Festival, Njuokčamat is a strong visual and exploratory film story that deals with the taboo theme of abuse of women in indigenous communities in Northern Norway.
THE KICKSLED CHOIR
Sparkekoret (Norway 2020; dir. Torfinn Iversen). 18 min. In Norwegian with English subtitles
Ten-year-old Gabriel loves to sing and has one desire: to sing in the local choir, which rides kick-sleds through the snowy landscape of Northern Norway, and is known for their kindness and charity towards the village refugees. But when Gabriel’s father gets into a fight with one of the local refugees, Gabriel’s quest to join The Kicksled Choir becomes challenging. Winner of the 2020 TIFF Junior — Tromsø International Children’s Film Festival Audience Award; the 2020 Chicago International Children’s Film Festival Professional Jury’s Prize for Best Live-Action Short, and other awards.
MY DEAR CORPSES
Mu kallid laibad (Estonia, 2020; dir. German Golub). 34 min. In Estonian and Russian with English subtitles.
Unexpectedly evicted from his house, Erki faces a rather difficult task to take care of his lonely mother: becoming a corpse carrier. But the situation is about to get a whole lot worse, as Erki meets a new colleague who sees the job as just another day in the field. Made by Baltic Film, Media, Arts and Communication School students, My Dear Corpses was a gold medal winner at the Student Academy Awards.