YiGO Films

FNC 11’ - Unbearable Lightness In Scandinavia - Part Two: Volcano (Eldfjall)

Compared to Joachim Trier’s Oslo, August 31st, Volcano comes with more “warmth”.

Anders is isolated in every way cinematically possible in Oslo, while Hannes, our main character in Volcano, just has an unlovable personality at the first glance.

Preceded by an Oscar nominated short, The Last Farm, Rúnar Rúnarsson efficiently sets up a bleak tone with the scorched volcanic landscape of Iceland in his feature debut. It wouldn’t at all seem odd if a nature documentary follows up. Instead, in suburban Reykjavik, 67-year-old Hannes retires from his long-time superintendent job at a school. Soon, he has to face the void that has been nibbling away at his existence.

@1 year ago with 2 notes

#festival du nouveau cinema

#film

#scandinavian cinema

#Volcano

#Eldfjall

#Rúnar Rúnarsson

FNC 11’ - Unbearable Lightness In Scandinavia - Part One: Oslo, August 31st

It was a pure coincidence to watch Oslo, August 31st and Volcano on the same day.

They both open with a montage, shortly followed by a suicidal attempt of the protagonist. They both depict a solitary journey of a lonely man, which is not a surprise if the main character wants to die at the beginning of a story. And both directors, Joachim Trier and Rúnar Rúnarsson, are young, precise and already winners of international film awards.

Oslo, August 31st is Trier’s second feature effort, following his Karlovy Vary Film Festival winning Reprise. The opening montage including documentary footage accompanied by voiceovers entails seemingly diverse and individual memories about urban Oslo. To establish the background where this story takes place seems to matter more, and in this case, it does.

34-year-old Anders is almost finishing his rehabilitation program. Filled with remorse, he returns to his hometown, Oslo, for a job interview. He takes the opportunity to revisit his past, while searching for a reason to live off. Loosely based on French writer Pierre Drieu La Rochelle’s “Le feu follet”, Oslo, August 31st is a trail to despair.

@1 year ago with 5 notes
#film #festival du nouveau cinema #review #Oslo August 31st #Joachim Trier #Scandinavian cinema

YiGO Films

FNC 11’ - Unbearable Lightness In Scandinavia - Part Two: Volcano (Eldfjall)

FNC 11’ - Unbearable Lightness In Scandinavia - Part One: Oslo, August 31st

"Everything in life is writable about if you have the outgoing guts to do it and the imagination to improvise. The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt."