Portál Pražana
Nordic Short Film festival: original and sincere
From the 4th to the 13th of June, Evald Cinema is hosting the second annual Nordic Short Film festival. The festival presents serious themes, as well as films full of humour and nostalgia, and it also gives an insight into the extraordinary lives of the Icelanders.
"Nordic Short Films will introduce our selection of the best short films from Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden,” says Tomáš Moravec from Scandinavian House, a non-profit organisation that organises the festival. He adds that each Nordic state is given one block of films during the festival. The spectators have a choice: either they can choose their favourite country or they can watch all forty short movies in five days, and enjoy a representative selection of films.
Crazy Finland
Each of the five evenings includes several films, ranging from four to twenty-three minutes in length. Thus, visitors can get to know Nordic originality and honesty at a quick glance. The festival will start with an evening called Crazy Finland, which will, among other things, show a film that won the Best Short Film Award at festivals in Chicago, Strasbourg, Edinburgh and Tampere. A film with the rough name of ‘Fucking Bunnies’ tells the story of a married couple, whose peaceful life is turned upside down by the arrival of their new neighbours – a Satan-worshipping sex cult.
Iceland and Sweden
The following evening will be dedicated to Iceland and it will portray restlessness in many forms. For example, one of the films points to the disturbing belief of Icelanders in the supernatural and in beings from folk tales. Another film deals with the unease of adolescence. And the quarter-hour-long ‘Chum’ presents the danger a beautiful woman brings to two unmarried men in their seventies when she appears in their lives....
Sweden will allow cinema-goers to peer under the surface of a seemingly orderly society. For example, you'll see that elegant retired women at meetings do not talk about babysitting their grandchildren, but discuss lively sexual stimulants and their love lives. You can also follow the story of a boy who reconciles himself with his beloved grandfather dying.
Norway and Denmark
Of course, Norway is not to be left out. This country’s short films are captivating and charming, but there are moments that will give you goosebumps. The Nordic Short Films will conclude with an evening dedicated to Denmark. It will deal with themes of human nature and personal relationships, be they between partners, friends, or parents and children. For example, in ‘Forever Now’ you can witness the break-up of a young couple who decide to spend their last weekend together - with drugs and emotional memories. ‘The Stranger Card’ reveals the feelings of a baby’s father who has the impression that his new role is not for him.
INFORMATION ABOUT THE FESTIVAL
04/06/19 – 13/06/19 from 7pm
Venue: Evald Cinema, Národní 60/28
Tickets: CZK 120 per one block of short films
Programme:
◾04/06/19 Crazy Finland
◾05/06/19 Restless Iceland
◾11/06/19 Peculiar Sweden
◾12/06/19 Intriguing Norway
◾13/06/19 Denmark (Un)chained
All films are screened in the original version with Czech subtitles