2017 Scandinavian Film Festival
Sydney
July 11-August 2
We are currently in the fourth season of the year in Sydney, which is mild compared to the harsh haunting wintertide that seems to be at home in Nordic countries, so a bit of escapism aka an escape from the chill to the confines of a warm, dark cinema, where you can watch movies from places even colder than here seems like a great proposition.
Returning to Palace Cinemas in Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, Adelaide, Brisbane, Perth and Hobart, the 2017 incarnation of the Volvo Scandinavian Film Festival showcases the a curated selection of Swedish, Danish, Finnish, Norwegian and Icelandic cinema, from award-winning dramas to esoteric comedies and the very best of Nordic Noir.
Danish Charlotte Sieling, the special guest with kudos from her Swedish /Danish series The Bridge, helped open the proceedings with a speech.
Charlotte Sieling presented the Finnish comedy / drama The Other Side of Hope, which is pervaded by Aki Kaurismäki’s (Drifting Clouds, Le Havre) deadpan humour and humanistic perspective depicting a current hot topic, i.e. illegal immigration. This joyous new film drolly reflects the modern day experience of one immigrant in Finland, wanting to change his life.
The Other Side of Hope is both sublime and entertaining - a statement providing a melancholic yet optimistic, compassionate vision of a troubled world.
Another highlight of the festival is the biographical Tom of Finland by director Dome Karukoski, one of Finland’s acclaimed directors, Dome Karukoski (Heart of a Lion, Scandi FF 2014).
Karukoski sheds light on the life of the man that ‘Tom of Finland’ is based on, which is not uninteresting as it became a global movement and phenomenon in terms of freedom and libreation of the sexual kind, and thereby creates a well nauanced portrait of a man that became an unorthodox spokesman.
Turbonegro rejoice.
The opening night of the 2017 Scandinavian Film Festival was rounded out and framed by an after-party with Unza, Swing and Balkan Gypsi beats courtesy of Romani ensemble Lovo Lovina, sparkling Elderberry cocktails and smørrebrød proferred by Fika Swedish Kitchen.
The festival in Sydney will continue until 02 August.
