3 to see at LFF: Nordic films

It’s 1999. Göran and Klasse – the two remaining, rather lonely, members of the once vibrant Swedish commune ‘Together’ – decide to host a reunion with their former collective friends. Needless to say, some 24 years down the line since the commune’s inception, time, money, success, mental health – you name it – have taken their toll on their ideals.

This is writer/director Lukas Moodysson’s eighth feature film. Moodysson’s first feature Fucking Åmal (aka Show Me Love) was an immediate indie hit in 1998, beloved by youth and adult audiences alike. Moodysson is one of Sweden’s most important and influential directors – his films have been recognised and celebrated internationally. His last major opus was the magnificent 12-part series Gösta (LFF 2019), and Together 99 is his first feature film since the riotous We Are the Best! in 2013.

One of the most enduring and moving features of Moodysson’s work is the love and empathy he exhibits in his quirky (and often flawed) characters. There’s a gorgeous sense of tenderness and hope in Together 99, and although many of the characters can be inconsistent, and even infuriating, Moodysson’s sensitive script and gentle humour ensure we get why they are how they are. 

The cast is overflowing with quirky charm, with notable turns from Clara Christiansson Drake (who was so marvellous as Saga in Gösta) bringing a grounding spirit and fresh modern edge to the ‘Together’ world, and David Dencik as the sweetest interloper you could ever hope to stumble into your world. This film is a sequel to Moodysson’s much-loved 1975-set Together (Tillsammans; LFF 2000) and there is much joy to be had in revisiting familiar faces and joining in the feelgood sadness that things can never be the same as they were. And, for those not yet familiar with that earlier film, there’s the huge delight of discovery of this warm-hearted, yet eyes-wide-open world.

The Big Chill (1983), Together (2000), The Commune (2016)

Three sisters – Laura (16), Mira (12) and Steffi (7) – live ‘home alone’ in a small apartment on the poor side of town. The sisters haven’t seen their mother in months and have to rely on ever-more elaborate (and always fun) shoplifting scams to feed and clothe themselves. Life is actually pretty sweet – they spend their time hanging out with their friends and breaking into houses in the posh district to access their pools. But when Laura takes a call from social services demanding a meeting with their mother suddenly their ‘idyll’ of freedom is under threat.

This is Swedish director/co-writer Mika Gustafson’s first dramatic feature. She previously directed the award-winning documentary biopic Silvana about the uncompromising Swedish female rapper Silvana Imam. Gustafson co-wrote Paradise Burning with actor/writer Alexander Öhrstrand, who also has a small role in the film. Gustafson always knew she wanted to use non-professional actors in the main roles – she found Dilvin Asaad who plays Mira in a school, and spotted Safira Mossberg (Steffi) in a subway. It was Öhrstrand who found their lead Bianca Delbravo (Laura), when he heard her yelling into a mobile phone. The film is produced by Nima Yousefi, one Sweden’s most exciting producers, whose credits also include Clara Sola (LFF 2021).

Paradise Is Burning is a fresh and lovely celebration of sisterhood and female friendship. Gustafson captures beautiful, fleeting moments in the sisters’ lives with great clarity and lightness. Each of the sisters is on a cusp: Laura longs for romance or at least some kind of intimate connection; Mira is becoming a woman and is getting fed up with being bossed by Laura; Steffi’s no longer a baby and wants to hang out with her own friends. Music also plays an important part in the sisters’ lives: there’s dancing and some seriously competitive karaoke.

Fucking Åmal (1998), American Honey (2016), Maya Nilo (Laura) (2022)

This cunning, twisty thriller sees exiled conman Dimman arrive in Malta seeking forgiveness from his soon-to-be-married, ex-partner-in-crime Frederik. But there’s not much chance for absolution in the unflinching glare of the island’s scorching sun…

Shame on Dry Land is writer/director (and sometime actor) Axel Petersén’s fourth feature. His previous feature The Real Estate, which he wrote and co-directed with fellow Swede Måns Månsson premiered at the Berlin Film Festival in 2018.

Petersén calls the film “a redemption drama stuck inside a Mediterranean noir” – there’s a real low-key, gumshoe feel to it, including a downbeat low-fi jazz score, which fits the mood of the film perfectly. Most scenarios are dedramatised, but punctuated to great effect with a few shocks. And, although it is a ‘thriller’, much of the film’s strength lies in what is held back. That said, watch out for a truly chilling crooner version of Cher’s ‘Do You Believe in Life After Love?’.

Chinatown (1974), Blow Out (1981), Blue Ruin (2013)

Look out also for the world premiere of Nightwatch – Demons Are Forever. Danish director Ole Bornedal lines up some of our favourite Nordic actors including Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Kim Bodnia, Paprika Steen. Who will be left alive at the end of the night? Bornedal has great horror credentials, he directed cult horror Nightwatch (1994) and has also worked with Sam Raimi.