Malou Reymann’s Unruly wins top Göteborg Dragon Award

The Nordic Dragon awards were split across Denmark (Unruly, Copenhagen Doesn’t Exist, Apolonia, Apolonia), Finland (Four Little Adults), Norway (Ellos Eatnu-Let the River Run Through) and Sweden (After Mourners).

Reymann’s sophomore feature Unruly (Ustyrlig) after the acclaimed A Perfectly Normal Family, is inspired by the true story of the Sprogø Women’s Institution on a small Danish island, where young women considered morally deviant by authorities, were locked in and subject of radical treatment. Here the main character Maren (17) develops bond with another ‘patient’ Sørine. Together they begin to rebel against the institution, with far reaching consequences.

While handing out the SEK 400,000 Dragon Award (one of the largest in the world), jurors Zar Amir Ebrahimi, Sofie Gråbøl, Antonio Lukich, and Matti Bye said they wanted to honour “a film that tells its story with both great sensitivity and power…a universal story about human spirit against the oppressive system. Although it is rooted in the past, it transcends time and borders and speaks strongly to our time, our minds and hearts. A solid and mature work, a powerful voice, a timely story of separation,” they said.

Unruly will be released in Danish cinemas March 9, via Nordisk Film. TrustNordisk has sold it to a number of territories including Benelux (September Film) and former Yugoslavia (Cinemania Group).

The Dragon Award for Best Actor -a gender neutral category - went to Finland’s Alma Pöysti for her role in Selma Vilhunen’s Four Little Adults produced by Tuffi Films

The Finnish star, who shone earlier in the biopic Tove, plays Juulia, a successful MP who embarks on a polyamorous relationship when she finds out that her husband is having an affair. The jurors praised her acting craft, enabling her to “move effortlessly between the dramatic and the humorous, in a performance which is mesmerising, witty and intelligent.”
Four Little Adults is sold worldwide by LevelK. It will be released later this year by Aurora Studios in Finland.

The SEK 250,000 Dragon Award for Best Documentary went to Lea Glob’s Apolonia, Apolonia,earlier winner of the IDFA Best Film

“The winner is a multi-layered film that takes us deep into the life of the main character. Every creative choice in the making of this film is taken from real life experiences that all of us can relate to. The story is not just about the character who struggles to reach her dream. It’s about the journey. A story about not giving up. A story about hope. A beautiful film about female friendship”, said the jurors including Doku Fest artistic director Veton Nurkollari, Swedish filmmakers Nahid Persson, and Morgane Dziurla-Petit.

Apolonia, Apolonia produced by Danish Documentary production is sold worldwide by Cats&Docs.

The Norwegian film Ellos Eatnu – Let the River Flow, by Ole Giæver won both the FIPRESCI Award and the Audience Dragon Award.

The period drama inspired by the Sámi Alta protest in the late 1970s-early 1980s had just had a raptious world opening at the Tromsø Film festival where it also won an award audience. The Mer Film production was just picked up by Beta Film for world sales.

The SEK 50,000 Sven Nykvist Award for Best Cinematography was handed out to Jacob Møller for the Danish drama Copenhagen Doesn’t Exist produced by Snowglobe. The psychological drama directed by Martin Skovbjerg from a script by Eskil Vogt opens February 9 in Denmark via Nordisk Film. TrustNordisk handles sales.

The SEK 10,000 Draken Film Award-Best Swedish Short was handed out to After Mourners by Hanna Högstedt.

Other Dragon awards were the following:

• Best International Film - Blue Caftan by Maryam Touzani,
• Ingmar Bergman International Debut -Runner by Marian Mathias,
• Mai Zetterling Grant to Mårten Nilsson.