Nordic & Baltic Oscar Series Returns With Director Talks To Scandinavia House

The Nordic & Baltic Oscar Contenders series at Scandinavia House returns this November and December with screenings of films chosen by the Nordic & Baltic countries to compete for the Oscar nomination for the Best International Feature Film! The series kicks off on Tuesday, November 15 at 7 PM with a screening of Girl Picture /Tytöt tytöt tytöt (dir. Alli Haapasalo, Finland, 2022), Finland's official nomination for the 95th Academy Awards.

"A true and tender portrait of female adolescence (IndieWire) - Girl Picture /Tytöt tytöt tytöt (dir. Alli Haapasalo, Finland, 2022) is a coming-of-age dramedy following best friends Mimmi and Rönkkö, who have each other's backs as they aspire for adventures filled with experiences and passion. When they meet Emma, who has given her whole life to figure skating - letting nothing stand between her and success - life opens new paths, as Mimmi and Emma find themselves falling in love. The screening will be followed by a virtual film Q&A with director Alli Haapasalo.

The series continues with a special screening of Estonia's official nomination for the 95th Academy Awards, Kalev (dir. Ove Musting, Estonia, 2022), as well as the Estonian short film Sierra, submitted for this year's Best Animated Short Film, on Wednesday, November 30 at 7 PM; director Ove Musting will be present for a film talk and Q&A following the event. In the summer of 1990, the Soviet Union is teetering on the verge of collapse, while the Baltic nations are struggling to take back their lost independence. As the USSR's basketball championship is set to begin, the Estonian team Kalev faces a momentous decision as the turbulence outside intertwines with battles on the court.

Other films now scheduled in the series include Norway's nomination War Sailor on Friday, December 2 at 7 PM with a film talk and Q&A with director Gunnar Vikene. In 1939, working-class Alfred Garnes (Kristoffer Joner) and he and his childhood friend Sigbjørn (Pål Sverre Hagen) sign up to work on a merchant ship in the mid-Atlantic Ocean. When World War II breaks out shortly thereafter, they find themselves unarmed civilians on the front lines of a war they never asked to join, while Alfred's wife and children remain struggle at home, unsure whether they will see them again.

On Wednesday, December 7 at 7 PM, Sweden's nomination Boy From Heaven (dir. Tarik Saleh, Sweden/France/Finland/Denmark, 2022) will screen alongside a film talk and Q&A with director Tarik Saleh. Adam, the son of a fisherman, is offered the ultimate privilege to study at the prestigious Al-Azhar University in Cairo, the epicenter of power for Sunni Islam. Shortly after his arrival, the Grand Imam of al-Azhar collapses and dies in front of his students, setting off a ruthless battle for influence to take his place; in a film acclaimed as a "gripping thriller about espionage" (The Playlist)and recipient of Best Screenplay at Cannes.

Iceland's nomination Beautiful Beings (dir. Guðmundur Arnar Guðmundsson, Iceland, 2022) on Saturday, December 3 at 4 PM, has been hailed as "radiant with violence and tenderness" (Variety). Addi, a boy raised by a clairvoyant mother, decides to adopt a bullied misfit into his gang of outsiders. Left to their own devices, the boys explore aggression and violence but also learn about loyalty and love, while Addi begins to experience a series of dreamlike visions. Can his newfound intuition guide him and his friends back to a safer path, or will they dive irrevocably into further violence? The screening will be followed by a Q&A and film talk with Guðmundur Arnar Guðmundsson (available for ASF and Academy Members only).

On Saturday, December 10, at 4 PM, see Denmark's official nomination Holy Spider (dir. Ali Abbasi, Denmark/Germany/Sweden/France, 2022), based on the true story of serial killer Saeed Hanaei. Female journalist Rahimi (Zar Amir Ebrahimi) travels to the Iranian holy city of Mashhad to investigate a serial killer who believes he is doing the work of God, cleansing the streets of sinners by murdering sex workers. As the body count mounts, and Rahimi draws closer to exposing his crimes, the opportunity for justice grows harder to attain as the 'Spider Killer' is embraced by many as a hero.

The series will also include a screening of Latvian Oscar nominee January (dir. Viesturs Kairiss, Latvia 2022), an autobiographical portrayal of the early 1990s political upheaval that changed the lives of members of the former Soviet Union; the time and date will be announced later this week.