While the Grammys was on yesterday, I was happily watching four great features and one very funny Oscar-nominated live-action short called "Why Do I Have to Do Everything?" -- the entire theater was laughing non-stop for nearly 10 minutes -- at the 15th Scandinavian Film Fest being held at the WGA Theater.
I missed the Swedish film "Reliance" (dir. William Olsson) in the morning because I spent the previous night watching Rafael Nadal’s finals match at the Australian Open. He lost, sadly.
I missed the Swedish film "Reliance" (dir. William Olsson) in the morning because I spent the previous night watching Rafael Nadal’s finals match at the Australian Open. He lost, sadly.
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| Clockwise: Conversations on Serious Topics, Two Lives, The Shooter, We Are the Best! |
The first movie I saw was this poignant Lithuanian quasi-documentary "Conversations On Serious Topics" (dir. Giedre Beinoriute) which features interviews with 12 kids (some in foster care, some orphans, some with disabilities) and they all take on questions about love, loneliness, dreams and their concept of faith, marriage and divorce. It’s a brisk 65-minute minimalist film. Arresting and quite revealing!
My 2nd film was Denmark's "The Shooter" (dir. Annette K. Olesen), a sleek film that has all the hallmarks of a polished Hollywood thriller. The score and editing are impressive!
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| Georg Maas with the author |
My 3rd film was Germany's entry to this years's Oscars "Two Lives" (dir. Georg Maas) and it was a suspenseful drama about a woman who is hiding a terrible secret about her identity... Great perfs! The director had an interesting Q&A after and he fielded questions about the inspiration of the film, the real-life stories from which he based his film, the authenticity of the location, and the poetic ending. Afterwards, I had a picture with him in the lobby. Not a selfie, though.
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| Georg Maas, James Koenig |
My favorite film yesterday was Lukas Moodyson's award-winning, buoyant and celebratory "We Are the Best!" It is a film about 3 girls who formed a punk band despite being told that punk was dead! A lovely film that pulsates with life and youthful exuberance! This one earned the biggest applause from me!
Yesterday was the Fest’s final day. It was my first year attending and I was so impressed by the film selections and the organized and congenial atmosphere of the festival. Kudos to festival founder/director James Koenig for a great event!
XXX
Raymond Lo
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