Last night (Tuesday), Palace Electric Cinemas welcomed a huge crowd of movie-lovers for the opening night of the 2015 Scandinavian Film Festival. Over 12 days, 22 films from across the Nordic countries will showcase a region with a long and proud history of storytelling.
At last night’s premiere, guests were treated to Gunnar Vikene’s Her er Harold (Here is Harold), a delightfully black comedy about a Norwegian furniture-seller who decides to kidnap the founder of IKEA, Ingvar Kamprad. A story about family and legacy, it was a brilliant start to the season of Scandinavian cinema.
Last night also featured an appearance by the Swedish-Finnish actress Bianca Kronlöf. Bianca won the Métronews Best Actress award at 2014’s Les Arcs European Cinema Festival for her performance in Svenskjävel (Underdog – showing during matinee sessions on Sunday and Tuesday), and spoke enthusiastically of her time in Australia and of the collection of films that highlight her culture.
There are plenty of other treats scattered through the strong programme. Film history buffs will want to grab a ticket to Stig Bjorkman’s Jag är Ingrid (Ingrid Bergman: In Her Own Words). To be shown on the closing night, the documentary is intimate portrait that spans the significant periods of Bergman’s career: the Swedish period, the Hollywood period, and the Italian period.
This Sunday will see ‘A Family Affair’ event with the showing of Danish film All Inclusive, a hilarious romp about three generations of women who travel to Malta to celebrate a 60th birthday. The screening will be accompanied by food from Monster Kitchen and there will be live music prior to the film. It’s a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon!
Head on over to the festival website for a full list of films and screening times. There’s an amazing range on offer and, as always, that wonderful Scandinavian mix of humour and warm emotion that has made their cinematic style famous across the world.
