The Nordic Film Festival, presented by London based independent film company Day for Night,returns to the UK for its 3rd edition showcasing a diverse mix of new and classic features, docs & shorts from the Nordic region including three UK premieres and two London premieres.
Building on the overwhelming success of the first and second editions of Nordic Film Festival which launched in London in 2012, NFF returns to the capital this 26 November to 7 December before going on tour to venues across the UK in December 2014. NFF 2014 brings together a refreshing programme of features, docs & shorts from some of the most celebrated established and emerging filmmaking talent of the Nordic region.
The 3rd Nordic Film Festival will take place across four principle London venues before going on tour to Edinburgh Filmhouse, Glasgow Film Theatre and Broadway, Nottingham. NFF is thrilled to announce it will be continuing partnership with central London venue the ICA, and excited to welcome on board three new venues: Hackney Picturehouse, Arthouse Crouch End and canal-side events space The Proud Archivist in Haggerston.
The theme of this year’s festival is “horizons”, exploring the diverse and ever-expanding landscape of Nordic culture through cinema – from explorations and journeys of (self-) discovery (Kon-Tiki, Hotel), to cross-cultural experiences (I Am Yours) and collaborations (CPH:LAB shorts, Nordic Factory).
This year’s festival introduces new strand: Architecture, Design & the City, within which internationally renowned artist Olafur Eliasson makes another NFF appearance in a documentary about the legacy of Lego and the building of a stunning Icelandic landmark, Harpa: From Dream to Reality. This event will be followed by a reception kindly sponsored by the Embassy of Iceland, Denmark.
Highlights include a preview of Iram Haq’s powerful debut I Am Yours (Norway 2013) ahead of release (30 January 2015) starring Amrita Acharia and Ola Rapace (seen recently in BBC4’s Crime of Passion series), Icelandic black comedy Paris of the North and Lisa Langseth’s follow up to the outstanding Pure, Hotel, seeing her team up again with Alicia Vikander.
The festival will also be be welcoming lead actor of Paris of the North, Björn Thors, among other guests.
The programme is as follows.
I Am Yours [Jeg er din]
Iram Haq | Norway 2013 | 96m | Norwegian/Swedish/Urdu + English subtitles | advised cert 15 | opening film
A moving portrayal of a young woman’s struggle with love, motherhood and being caught between two cultures.
- 26 Nov Hackney Picturehouse (London)
- 1 Dec Glasgow Film Theatre
- 2 Dec Arthouse Crouch End (London)
- 10 Dec Filmhouse (Edinburgh)
- 14 Dec Tyneside Cinema (Newcastle)
- 16 Dec Broadway (Nottingham)
Paris of the North [París norðursins]
Hafsteinn Gunnar Sigurðsson | Iceland/Denmark/France 2014 | 98m| Icelandic + English subtitles | advised cert 15 | London premiere
Set against Iceland's stunning West Fjords, this bleakly comic tale sees thirty-something Hugi’s life turned upside down when his estranged father arrives in town.
- 30 Nov ICA (London) + intro by lead actor Björn Thors
- 1 Dec ArtHouse Crouch End (London) + Q&A with lead actor Björn Thors
- 8 Dec Glasgow Film Theatre
- 15 Dec Broadway (Nottingham)
- 16 Dec Tyneside Cinema (Newcastle)
- 17 Dec Filmhouse (Edinburgh)
Kon-Tiki
Joachim Rønning/Espen Sandberg | Norway/Denmark/Germany/Sweden 2012 | Norwegian/Swedish/French/English + English subtitles |118m | advised cert 15
This epic global tale of bravery, camaraderie and sheer determination follows the 1947 expedition of Thor Heyerdahl across the Pacific Ocean.
- 3 Dec ArtHouse Crouch End (London)
Days of Gray
Ani Simon-Kennedy| Iceland 2013 | 78m | advised cert 15
With a nod to the tradition of silent cinema, Icelandic band Hjaltalín’s award-winning soundtrack set the tone for this atmospheric tale of hunters, outsiders and a society bound by strict rules.
- 11 Dec Filmhouse (Edinburgh)
Ai Weiwei: The Fake Case
Andreas Johnsen | Denmark 2013 | 86m | Mandarin + English subtitles | advised cert 15 | London premiere
Detained for alleged tax evasion, artist and political dissident Ai Weiwei spent 81 days in a prison cell. Danish filmmaker Andreas Johnsen (Kidd Life, 2012) digs deep to document the ensuing high-profile court battle.
- 27 Nov Hackney Picturehouse (London)
- 15 Dec Tyneside Cinema (Newcastle)
- 18 Dec Broadway (Nottingham)
Nordic Factory
Sundays (Kræsten Kusk/Denmark and Natalia Garagiola/Argentina)
Listen (Hamy Ramezan/Finland and Rungano Nyoni/Zambia)
Void (Milad Alami/Denmark and Aygul Bakanova/Kyrgyzstan)
The Girl and the Dogs (Selma Vilhunen/Finland and Guillaume Mainguet/France)
2014 | 60m | Danish + Englsh subtitles | advised cert 15 | UK premiere
Nordic Factory is a collaborative project between young filmmakers in which each film is influenced by the coming together of different cultures and cinematic styles. Featuring Lars Mikkelsen (Borgen), Signe Egholm Olsen (Borgen) and Dar Salim (The Killing, Borgen, A Hijacking).
- 29 Nov ICA (London)
- 15 Dec Glasgow Film Theatre
My Stuff
Petri Luukkainen | Finland 2013 | 80m | Finnish + English subtitles | cert 15
Docudrama about a filmmaker's one year experiment in creative living, locking away all his possessions in storage...
- 4 Dec ArtHouse Crouch End (London)
Hotel [Hotell]
Lisa Langseth | Sweden 2013 | 97m I Swedish + English subtitles I advised cert 15 | closing film
Successful young professional Erika resorts to an ill-suited therapy group after her life takes an abrupt turn in this honest and at times humorous exploration of the human psyche.
- 7 Dec Hackney Picturehouse (London)
- 17 Dec Broadway (Nottingham)
- 18 Dec Filmhouse (Edinburgh)
- 22 Dec Glasgow Film Theatre
CPH:LAB presents
La Isla
Dominga Sotomayor/Katarzyna Klimkiewicz | Chile/Poland 2013 | 30m | advised cert 15
Not At Home
Katja Adomeit/Sharbhanoo | Sadat Denmark/Germany/Afghanistan) | 60m | advised cert 15
Courtesy of CPH:DOX
Collaboration with leading Danish documentary festival CPH:DOX, with a shorts programme from their CPH:LAB initiative.
- 7 Dec The Proud Archivist (London)
Special Event: Architecture, Design & the City followed by Icelandic Reception
From Denmark to Iceland – a programme of on architecture, design and the city, featuring Nordic creative talents Bjarke Ingels, Olafur Eliasson and others.
- 30 Nov The Proud Archivist (London)
Lego: The Building Blocks of Architecture
Jude Ho | courtesy of BBC2 | UK 2014 | 29m | advised cert PG
Documentary narrated by Tom Dyckhoff, exploring the influence of the familiar, nostalgic little coloured bricks on some of today's most imaginative and revolutionary architectural projects.
Harpa: From Dream to Reality
Hrafnhildur Gunnarsdottir | Iceland 2012 | 70m | advised cert PG
Documentary about Reykjavik's first purpose-built concert hall, featuring conversations with the mind behind the building’s majestic façade, internationally renowned artist Olafur Eliasson.
Hugo and Josephine
D. Kjell Grede | Sweden 1967 | 82m | Swedish + English subtitles | cert U
One summer in the Swedish countryside, Josephine, the pastor's daughter, and Hugo, a boy who fends for himself in the woods nearby, join ranks in search of adventure. From the Cinema of Childhood touring season.
- 7 Dec The Proud Archivist (London)
More details at: www.day-for-night.org/nordic-film-festival
Venues:
Hackney Picturehouse (E8 1HE) / 26-27 Nov, 7 Dec
www.picturehouses.co.uk/cinema/Hackney_Picturehouse
ICA (SW1Y 5AH) 29-30 Nov
www.ica.org.uk
The Proud Archivist (N1 5ET) 30 Nov, 7 Dec
www.theproudarchivist.co.uk
Arthouse Crouch End (N8 9BT) 1-4 Dec
www.arthousecrouchend.co.uk
www.day-for-night.org/nordic-film-festival
Broadway
14-18 Broad St, Nottingham NG1 3AL
www.broadway.org.uk
Filmhouse
88 Lothian Rd, Edinburgh EH3 9BZ
www.filmhousecinema.com
Glasgow Film Theatre
12 Rose St, Glasgow G3 6RB
www.glasgowfilm.org/theatre
Tyneside Cinema
10 Pilgrim St. Newcastle NE1 6QG
www.tynesidecinema.co.uk |
