«A Happy Day», «Ellos eatnu – La elva leve» and «Fedrelandet» are on the shortlist for a Norwegian Oscar nomination.
These are three films that the Norwegian Oscar committee believes have a good chance of standing out in the competition for an Oscar in the category of best international film, writes the Norwegian Film Institute in a press release.
On 22 September, one of these three films will be chosen to represent Norway in the competition for an Oscar for best international film.
A Happy Day – Trailer (Dir. Hisham Zaman)
Three teenage friends stuck in a refugee camp in the frozen north of Norway come up with a plan to escape over the mountain to a world where their dreams can be fulfilled. But when one of them falls in love, their plan begins to unravel.
Ellos eatnu – Let the river live
Ester moves to Alta in the autumn of 1979 and starts her first job as a substitute teacher. To fit in at the college, she keeps her Sami background hidden.
Ester’s cousin is a Sami activist and participates in the demonstrations against the planned hydroelectric power plant in Altaelva. When Ester joins him at the protest camp, her awakening and journey out of shame begins. She throws herself into a conflict-filled battle for the preservation of the river and for the right to be herself.
Ellos eatnu – Let the river live is a drama with deep conflicts, about a young person’s courage in the fight for Sami rights in one of the most important events in Sami and Norwegian history.
Fedrelandet (Fatherland)
From Margreth Olin, the director of Mannen fra Snåsa, Engelen og Barndom, comes the documentary Fatherland, a close and spectacular embrace of our first love: Nature.
With Olin’s 85-year-old father as guide, we experience Norway’s most adventurous valley, Oldedalen in Nordfjord. He grew up here, and here generations before him have lived in balance with nature. Majestic images of wild mountains, calving glaciers and bustling wildlife go side by side with the parents’ stories about the generations who trod the trails, the relationship we have with nature and what is valuable in life. The music is composed of unique sound recordings – nature’s own melodies, translated and performed by the London Contemporary Orchestra.
