Eight Nordic docs backed by the Fund compete at Nordisk Panorama

The full line-up of standout Nordic documentary films, was announced August 11 by Gitte Hansen & Hawa Sanneh, documentary programmers and Lucile Bourliaud & Sam Groves, short film programmers.

“This year’s documentary programme tackles some of the most urgent topics of our time: climate crisis, corruption, war, violation of human rights and women’s rights. There are also films whose universal subject will forever be relevant: first friendship, coming-of-age, love and death,” said high-profile Nordic documentary professional Hansen and rising producer Sanneh. The latter who is finishing her production degree at Stockholm’s University of the Arts, shared the Nordic Talents Pitch Prize last year with Jimm Garbis.

Among the 15 films competing for the €11,000 best Nordic Documentary Prize, backed by DR, NRK, RUV, SVT and YLE, six have received support from Nordisk Film & TV Fond:

• A House Made of Splinters by Denmark’s Simon Lereng Wilmont (Final Cut for Real) centres on the plight of neglected children in a temporary shelter in Eastern Ukraine. Lereng Wilmont won Best Director at Sundance 2022 for the film.
• Daughters by Sweden’s Jenifer Malmqvist (WG Film) is about three young girls grieving the loss of their mother. It won a DOK.edit award at Munich DOK.Fest.
• Golden Land by Finland’s Inka Achté (Napafilms), is a journey of self-discovery from a Finnish/Somali family. It was awarded a ‘Golden Alexander’ in Thessaloniki.
• Nelly & Nadine by Sweden’s Magnus Gertten (Auto Images), is the story of two women who fall in love on Christmas Eve, 1944, in the Ravensbrück concentration camp. It won a Teddy-Jury Award at the last Berlinale.
• Sabaya by Sweden’s Hogir Hirori (Lolav Media, Ginestra Film) is about Isis-persecuted Yazidi women, being rescued from the Al-Hol camp in Syria. Hirori was crowned Best Director at Sundance 2021.
• Tsumu – Where Do You Go With Your Dreams? by Denmark’s Kasper Kiertzner (Playground Production), is a story of hope and dreams from three young Greenlanders. It was awarded an Honorary Mention at CPH:DOX.

The other titles in the main competition are:

• Band by Álfrún Örnólfsdóttir (Iceland)
• Budding Humans by Gunhild Westhagen Magnor (Norway, Sweden)
• How to Save a Dead Friend by Marusya Syroechkovskaya (Sweden, Norway, France)
• Invisible Demons by Rahul Jain (Finland, Germany)
• King of the Butterflies by Olaf de Fleur (Iceland)
• Ruthless Times – Songs of Care by Susanna Helke (Finland)
• The Eclipse by Nataša Urban (Norway)
• The Killing of a Journalist by Matt Sarnecki (Denmark, Czech Republic, USA)
• The Silence in Sápmi by Liselotte Wajstedt (Norway, Sweden)

The section New Nordic Voice has six titles vying for the €5,000 award, sponsored by AVEK and Film i Skåne of which two received support from the Fund: Calendar Girls by Sweden’s Maria Loohufvud & Love Martinsen (Pink Dolphin) is an uplifting film about Florida’s most dedicated dance team for women over 60, which world premiered at Sundance 2022 and No Place Like Home by Norway’s Emilie Beck (Indie Film), is about adoption and identity.

Other New Nordic Voices entries are:

• Memory of Life by Juhani Haukka (Finland)
• Moosa Lane by Anita M. Hopland (Denmark, Norway)
• See Me As I Am by Louise Leth (Denmark)
• The Scars of Ali Boulala by Max Eriksson (Sweden, Norway).

Within the short film programme, 15 films are running for the €5,000 Best Nordic Short Prize , such as the Danish/Icelandic short Nest by Hlynur Pálmason which screened at the Berlinale Special 2022.

The full programme of Nordisk Panorama will be announced September 1st.