As the first Norwegian director, Thomas Østbye has been selected for this year's Documentary Fortnight with his film "Imagining Emanuel". MoMA's International Festival of Nonfiction Film highlights the art of the documentary. "Imagining Emanuel" will be screened at 5:30 pm on Sunday February 19 and at 1:30 pm on Monday February 20. There will be a discussion with Thomas Østbye after the screening on Sunday. MoMA is located on 11 West 53 Street in New York.
"Imagining Emanuel" is about Emanuel, who claims to have stowed away on a boat from Liberia to Norway. Various Norwegian authority figures and welfare agencies give testimony as to the veracity of his account. But how do you determine who someone is? Using a variety of documentary techniques, the film attempts to form an image of this person.
Established in 2001, MoMA's annual two-week showcase of recent nonfiction film and video takes place each February. This selection of international feature-length and short documentaries from around the world represents the wide range of creative categories that extend the idea of the documentary form and reflect on new areas of nonfiction practice. This year's program includes a selection of over 40 films, performances, and music events, and many of the filmmakers will be present throughout the festival. Discussions follow each film.