Ice, fire and bordering lands

Scandinavian countries are among the main producers of documentaries, short films and experimental films, and they are often remarkable for their quality, their independence and for the large and meaningful production. However, the introspectivity of their language and themes often prevent their movies from being presented to a wider audience during festivals or cultural initiatives.
For this reason, we decided to select the most recent production of non-introspective, outside-oriented works, from the point of view of the northern border of the western world. During this edition we will focus on the works coming from Iceland, Denmark and Norway.
We will screen “Screaming Masterpiece” by Ari Alexander Ergis Magnusson and “Africa United” by Olafur Johannesson. The first one is the Italian premiere of a documentary that has run through many international festivals. It is an overview of the wide Icelandic music production through interviews and comments by the main characters of the past and the present (Bjork, Sigur Ros, Mum, Sugar Cube, Bang Gang, Mugison, the movie maker Thor Fridriksson, who attended the 2003 edition of Tekfestival, and many more) and through very interesting, fascinating and precious unreleased video clips. The second one is a passionate story of immigration and football (which is often a mean of integration) through the tale of thirteen North African and Eastern European immigrants in a foreign country, during their sport experience between work and a difficult social condition. The documentary “The Chicken Commander” by Fridrik Gudmundsson is a particular point of view on the absurdity of war.
Through a new directing freedom of its filmmaker, the film describes the most absurd aspects of the control and war machine. The short film “ Last Farm”, nominated for the Academy Awards 2006, is a touching picture of an old Icelandic farmer who decides to put an end to his life. He is bitterly aware that he can not go on with his life in a world that does not belong to his generation anymore. The last short film is “Slawek The Shit” by Grimur Haikonarson, which was screened in many international festivals but never in Italy. This short film received a lot of awards and it is about a funny encounter of different cultures, around a love story in a public toilet in Prague. “The Swenkas” by Jeppe Rønde is the second of the trilogy by this young Danish director. It is a journey in South Africa, in the suburbs and in the outskirts of Johannesburg to discover some very peculiar dance schools. A colourful distortion of reality and a dilated mirror of their image. Wonderful cinematography and a very original plot.
From Norway, with special thanks to Therese Jacobsen and to the Apecosmonautene, we are pleased to present an overview of the works by this independent avant-garde production company, from the documentary “Telephony” through the experimental “Peel OFF” to the poetic “Fear Less”, through the most meaningful short films of the most awarded production company in its own country and abroad.
Like every year, this section is created in collaboration with the Associazione Amici dell’Islanda and gives room to the most recent and meaningful works coming from Iceland. The rest of it is a journey through the Nordisk Film Festival, the most important northern European film festival of independent short films and documentaries. The section has been created thanks to the collaboration of the cinema institutes of these countries or directly of the authors themselves. This will be the third appointment and it presents itself as a point of reference for the screening of documentaries and fiction coming from Northern countries.

Alessandro Fenili

- anticipations	- programme	- multimedia
- teknews	- sections	- newsletter
- advertising	- events