The 47th Hong Kong International Film Festival (HKIFF47) will showcase extraordinary works by Scandinavian filmmakers who have been under the international spotlight for their creativity and diversity.
The seven-film Nordic Lights programme ranges from religious to comic surrealism and femininity by experienced and emerging filmmakers.
Finnish director Juho Kuosmanen journeys back to frigid post-Soviet Russia with Compartment No.6, his Grand Prix winner at Cannes in 2021, nurturing warmth and humour with its offbeat romance between two lost souls. Also from Finland, Mikko Myllylahti’s deadpan philosophical fable, The Woodcutter Story, recalls the quirkiness of Aki Kaurismäki, yet taking hold of hope in a world of despair.
Danish filmmakers are known for charming the world with their unbridled inventiveness. Dogma 95 advocate Lars von Trier returns with his magnum opus, The Kingdom Exodus, bringing the myriad mysteries of his deranged hospital psychodrama to its terrifying conclusion. No less remarkable are two promising female Danish directors. In her feature debut, The Great Silence, Katrine Brocks explores the existential struggle between the flawed and the flawless through a nun’s story. Malou Reymann, taking inspiration from actual events in the 1930s, examines women’s control of their bodies in her sophomore effort Unruly.
From Icelandic director Hlynur Pálmason comes a stark feature, Godland, and an affecting short film, Nest. Tracing a priest’s journey from Denmark to colonial Iceland in the late 19th century, Godland presents an austere portrait of the fragility of faith and human vulnerability. In contrast, Norwegian director Kristoffer Borgli’s black comedy Sick of Myself, which shines a light on society’s scam culture, is a fascinating character study of deluded self-obsession and craving for modern fame.
Two emerging Scandinavian actors’ distinctive and diverse performances should not go unnoticed. Besides playing a tormented nun in The Great Silence, the Norwegian Kristine Kujath Thorp transforms into a self-absorbed woman in Sick of Myself. Her Danish co-star in The Great Silence, Elliott Crosset Hove, can also be seen as a fragile priest in Godland.
HKIFF47 will take place from 30 March to 10 April, featuring screenings and audience-engagement events in theatres and online. The complete programme and screening schedule are now available through HKIFF’s official website (www.hkiff.org.hk). The public can purchase tickets through URBTIX.
Feature Image: The Great Silence
Nordic Lights:
- Compartment No.6 by Juho Kuosmanen
- Godland by Hlynur Pálmason
- The Great Silence by Katrine Brocks
- Sick of Myself by Kristoffer Borgli
- Unruly by Malou Reymann
- The Woodcutter Story by Mikko Myllylahti
- The Kingdom Exodus [EP. 1-2] by Lars von Trier
- The Kingdom Exodus [EP. 3-5] by Lars von Trier
To download more information:
https://usercontent.hkiff.org.hk/Press/HKIFF47
About The Hong Kong International Film Festival
The Hong Kong International Film Festival (HKIFF) is one of Hong Kong’s most significant cultural events annually. It is Asia’s longest-running platform for filmmakers, film professionals, and filmgoers worldwide to launch new work and experience outstanding films. HKIFF introduces world cinema to local audiences to enrich and deepen the understanding of Hong Kong moviegoers. Committed to discovering new talent, HKIFF premieres the breadth of Chinese cinema and showcases Asian talent. Festival-goers can enjoy world-class films, attend seminars hosted by leading filmmakers worldwide, visit film exhibitions, participate in receptions and parties, and more. HKIFF draws extensive coverage from the local and international media and has grown in importance as one of the premier platforms for launching films in Asia.
About The Hong Kong International Film Festival Society Limited
The Hong Kong International Film Festival Society Limited (HKIFFS) is a charitable, non-profit and non-governmental organisation dedicated to discovering and promoting creativity in film art and culture. It organises the annual Hong Kong International Film Festival (HKIFF) and the Hong Kong – Asia Film Financing Forum (HAF). Another highlight is the Cine Fan Summer International Film Festival (SummerIFF), held every August. In 2013, HKIFF introduced the repertory HKIFF Cine Fan Programme to enrich and deepen Hong Kong moviegoers’ experience through a monthly programme of contemporary, retrospective, and thematic showcases. In 2021, HKIFFS restructured its film industry services and set up HKIFF Industry to promote and support non-mainstream film industry development through co-production, festival strategies, and overseas distribution (HKIFF Collection).
