Classic films from Norway to screen at Scandinavia House this spring/summer.
This short retrospective screens the acknowledged gems of Norwegian cinema in order to whet your palette and provide a glimpse into the development of an art form that reflects, in a spirited and harmonious way, the characteristics of the Norwegian people. They’re freedom loving and fearless, independent and proud, at ease with the stark and awesome power of nature, creative and adventurous yet respectful of a strong literary tradition. All this is leveled by warm humor and a deep-seated sense of humanity. All films are subtitled in English.
“Kristin Lavransdatter”
Written and directed by Liv Ullmann, 1995. Screenplay based on the novel by Sigrid Undset. Cinematography by Sven Nykvist. With Elisabeth Matheson, Bjørn Skagestad, Sverre Anker Ousdal, and Rut Tellefsen. 140 min. Liv Ullmann, the most famous Norwegian in the film world, paid tribute to Nobel prize-winning author Sigrid Unset with this beautiful and impressive interpretation and visualization of the first volume of Unset’s medieval trilogy. With ace cinematographer Sven Nykvist and a cast of Norway’s most beloved actors, Ullmann’s rendering of the courageous Kristin’s tempestuous encounter with true love under pre-Reformation skies ushered in a Golden Age of Norwegian filmmaking.
When: Wednesday, May 25, 6:30 pm
“Gjest Baardsen”
Written and directed by Tancred Ibsen, 1939. With Alfred Maurstad, Vibeke Falk, Joachim Holst-Jensen, and Karl-Arne Bergman. 99 min. Tancred Ibsen, the “double grandson” (Henrik Ibsen and Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson are both his grandfathers!), created this delightful adventure about the legendary thief Gjest, a true folk hero, who fools the rich and gives to the poor. He always manages to escape from the police-and if not, he’ll escape from prison. He falls in love with the beautiful Anna, who’s pursued by a deceitful prison warden. Filled with the atmosphere of warm summer days and good, free-spirited people fighting authority, this film is still considered by many to be the most successful Norwegian film ever.
When: Wednesday, June 1, 6:30 pm
“Death is a Caress (Døden er et kjærtegn)
Directed by Edith Carlmar, 1949. With Bjørg Riiser-Larsen and Claus Wiese. 95 min.This amazing film noir-the debut feature of Norway’s first female film director, the first of many-is a dark urban thriller set in post-war Oslo with a plebeian touch and style to spare. A car mechanic falls for a spoiled rich wife, played by the amazing Bjorg Riiser-Larsen in a terrific femme fatale performance, with fatal consequences.
When: Wednesday, June 8, 6:30 pm
“Cold Tracks” (Kalde Spor)
Written and directed by Arne Skouen, 1962. With Toralv Maurstad and Henny Moan. 97 min.The director Arne Skouen has created one of Norway’s finest filmographies. This is his last of three extremely accomplished and morally affecting dramas about the Occupation, a major theme in post-World War II Norwegian filmmaking. Shot quite mercilessly on mountain locations in mid-winter, the film almost literally chills the blood with its theme of obsessive guilt as a former Resistance leader (Toralv Maurstad, son of Alfred) tries to purge the ghosts of his past betrayals. Snow, silence, and stunning sub-Arctic scenery have never been more evocatively portrayed than in this intense probing of the Norwegian psyche.
When: Wednesday, June 15, 6:30 pm
“Betrayal” (Løperjenten)
Directed by Vibeke Løkkeberg, 1981. With Nina Knapskog and Vibeke Løkkeberg. 108 min. Subtitled “The Story of Kamilla,” this film is set in Bergen in 1948 and stars a 7-year-old girl. Children are a beloved subject for Norwegian directors, and their point of view is often brilliantly used-as is the case with this film. In the middle of the violent disintegration of her parents’ marriage, the resourceful and resilient Kamilla receives in short order their love, blows, warmth, and confusion. The natural, intense, and devastating performances are astonishing, rendering this rare and beautiful work at the same time emotionally brutal yet affirming.
When: Wednesday, June 22, 6:30 pm
“Pathfinder” (Veiviseren)
Directed by Nils Gaup, 1987. With Mikkel Gaup, Nils Utsi. 86 min. This Oscar-nominated film-the first made in the Sami language-is, like its Lapp director, a true original much admired throughout the world. Filled with action and shot against sweeping, frozen landscapes, the film stunningly recreates a 12th-century legend in which a boy, forced to act as guide for a gang of Tchides marauders who have killed his family, contrives an ingenious revenge.
When: Wednesday, June 29, 6:30 pm
TICKETS: $8 ($6 ASF members). ASF members may make phone reservations by calling (212) 847-9746. Non-members may purchase tickets in person at Scandinavia House before screenings or up to one week in advance of screenings during public hours (Tuesday-Saturday, 12:00-6:00 p.m.)
Where: Scandinavia House, 58 Park Avenue (between 37th and 38th Streets), NYC
Info: (212) 879-9779 or www.scandinaviahouse.org