SFFLA 2015: Finnish film "Heart of a Lion (Leijonasydän)" Moves Audience!

On Sunday last week, this writer attended the screening of the gripping 2013 Finnish drama "Heart of a Lion" from director Dome Karukoski. The movie is about a Neo-Nazi man named Teppo who one day falls in love with woman who happens to have a biracial son from a previous relationship. This development would force him to examine his racist nature and would test his relationship with his half-brother Harri, who happens to be a hard-core Neo-Nazi.

The film offers a timely message on tolerance and acceptance at a time when Europe is under threat from the extremists of both ends. It does not romanticize the subject matter and it offers no clear-cut solution to the problem either. What it does is present the growing threat in small cities across Europe and allows the audience to act according to what side they are on the issue. Don't get me wrong, the movie is strongly against racism and intolerance but it does not totally demonize those who are in the wrong side but are willing to make a change for the better.

The screening was attended by director Dome Karukosi, actor Jasper Pääkkönen, who plays the half-brother Harri, and screenwriter Aleksi Bardy. The audience was so moved by the film that the post-screening Q&A lasted over 40 minutes and the photo-ops took so long that the screening for the next film had to be delayed for a couple of minutes to give some people time to have their pictures taken with the filmmakers.

Below are pictures from the screening. Of course, i had to be in some of them!

SFFLA Festival Director James Koenig (2nd from Right)
with (L-R, screenwriter Aleksi Bardy,
actor Jasper Paakkonen and director Dome Karukosi

Raymond Lo (center) with Jasper Paakkonen and Dome Karukosi

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Raymond Lo

SFFLA 2015: Festival Diary, Day 1

The 16th edition of the Scandinavian Film Festival Los Angeles (SFFLA) kicked off today with five extraordinary features and an Opening Night Gala attended by hundreds of guests. Per tradition, there were good movies, good cakes, good drinks and good food (prepared by Sirpa Welch, the executive chef of the Scandinavian Kitchen in LA (sirpawelch@msn.com or (310) 422-5133). See pictures here: http://raymonddeasislo.blogspot.com/p/events-opening-night-gala-of-16th.html

I saw three diverse, interesting and extraordinary films today.

Antboy: The Revenge of Red Fury
Denmark

The first movie I saw was this cute little charmer from Denmark. "Antboy: The Revenge of Red Fury" is a sequel to the hugely popular "Antboy", which also screened during last year's edition of SFFLA. This fun adventure flick is what a superhero tale about kids trying to save the world should be, the film treatment is juvenile -- as it should be -- but not dumb. I saw kids at the screening and I can tell they were big fans of the movie because some of them were wearing Antboy shirts and they even sat very close to the screen!

Sorrow & Joy
Denmark

My 2nd film today was this solemn autobiographical film by Nils Malmros from Denmark. "Sorrow & Joy" is the official Oscar submission by Denmark and is inspired by a tragic incident in the filmmaker's life. It highlights the frightening dangers untreated mental conditions can bring to a family.

The story opens with the noted terrible tragedy and, true to its title, it delves into the ensuing sorrow that the incident brought the couple. It closes, however, with a somewhat reassuring present day end for them -- not completely blissful but not unhappy either.

The depressing theme of story may be tough for some to sit through but it offers the audience the opportunity to discover that there was this couple in Denmark who went through this incredible loss and survived it, not unscathed but as better, stronger human beings. And, through their story, we may perhaps have their strength to also face all our problems with such courage, grace and mutual love.

A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence

Sweden

My 3rd film today was this wonderfully titled new film from Swedish master Roy Andersson. A PIGEON SAT ON A BRANCH REFLECTING ON EXISTENCE is the third film in the trilogy called LIVING and is a collection of vignettes about death, dying and the horrible existence of being alive but practically dead. The movie is oftentimes humorous but does not lack for many thought-provoking and philosophical observation about the subject matter. The filmmaking is excellent! Even if one is not familiar with Andersson's cinema, one can easily tell, by the film's opening sequence, that the filmmaker commands great mastery of the medium and his palpable confidence easily gets the attention and completely wins over the audience. Even if his film does not offer a core story or a linear narrative, Andersson's grasp of his subject matter and his singular vision in presenting this via a series of interrelated sequences somewhat allows the audience to make sense of everything and that is something that an ordinary filmmaker would have difficulty to achieve. 

This film won Best Film at the Venice Film Festival, where it beat the Oscar-nominated film BIRDMAN.

The festival continues on January 18, Sunday; January 24, Saturday and January 25, Sunday. See you there!

XXX

Raymond Lo

SFFLA 2015: 16th Scandinavian Film Festival LA this month!

European masters of cinema Roy Andersson, Pirjo Honkasalo, Bent Hamer, Ruben Ostlund headline this year's line-up of terrific films!

Festival is dedicated to the loving memory of David Larson 11/1/50--10/26/2014 partner and pathfinder, co-founder and collaborator, without whose hard work, love and generosity, SFFLA would not have been possible.

There are over 20 full-length and short features that are scheduled to screen on two weekends this month. On January 17, at 8 PM, Swedish master Roy Andersson (Songs from the Second Floor) returns with an absurdist, surrealistic and shocking pitch-black comedy, which moves freely from nightmare to fantasy to hilariously deadpan humour as it muses on man’s perpetual inhumanity to man. The third part of his “living” trilogy, "A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence" premiered at the 71st Venice International Film Festival where it was awarded the Golden Lion for Best Film.

On January 18, at 7:30 PM, Oscar-nominated director Bent Hamer (Kitchen Stories) presents a film that revolves around Anna, a scientist who specializes in weights and measures, lives a life of precision, rigidity and solitude. But when her father, a fellow scientist, suffers a heart attack, Anna’s world falls out of perfect alignment. Wry and winsome, "1001 Grams", follows Anna on a journey from Norway to France and back, as she attempts to find the right balance in her life.

On January 24, two films, both Oscar submissions will also screen.

Ruben Ostlund's "Force Majeure" tells of a family on a ski vacation in the French alps who find themselves staring down an avalanche while they’re having lunch one day. In the aftermath, the family dynamic is shaken to the core after the father “runs for his life” to save himself.

Finnish master Pirjo Honkasalo's "Concrete Night", a dream-like odyssey through beautiful Helsinki over the course of one night for two brothers whose chaotic home is in the heart of a concrete jungle in Helsinki, will also screen. The protagonist of the film is a 14 year-old boy on a journey of self-discovery. His unpredictable mother wants him to spend the evening with his older brother who has one last day of freedom before starting a prison sentence.

This is the 16th edition of Scandinavian Film Festival L.A. and is made possible by a great audience of savvy L.A. film lovers, industry professionals, "homesick Nordics" and Baltic neighbors-- and people connected to the top of Europe through heritage, life experience, business, the arts-- or just a great sense of discovery. It doesn't happen by accident-- please consider becoming a donor today!  Check out the program on the web-site: http://www.scandinavianfilmfestivalla.com/current-schedule.php

This year's edition will be held at the Writers Guild Theater, Beverly Hills over two weekends: January 17, 18, 24, 25, 2015. Part of  the "winter film season" build up to awards-- SFFLA was launched in 2000, offering a program of films from the top of Europe, showcasing Nordic films and filmmakers, with as many as possible of the Nordic Oscar submissions in the context of current feature, documentary and short films-- and now with a bonus Baltic component of select films from around the Baltic neighborhood including. Starting in 2014 with  BALTIC FILM EXPO @SFFLA the festival initiated cinematic offerings from the three Baltic nations - Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.

The full line-up and screening schedule is below:

Saturday, January 17
11:00AM: The Optimists, Norway, 2013, 90 minutes, Brunhild Westhagen
1:00PM: It's Only Make-Believe, Norway, 2013, 91 minutes, Arild Ostin Ommundsen
3:00PM: Antboy:2, Denmark, 2014, 77 minutes, Ask Hasselbalch
4:30PM: Sorrow and Joy, Denmark, 2013, 107 minutes, Nils Malmros (Oscar Submission)
6:30PM: Opening Gala and Buffet, Great Food & Drinks to open SFFLA's 16th Anniversary year!
8:00PM: A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Contemplating Existence, Sweden, 2014, 101 minutes, Roy Andersson

Sunday, January 18
11:00AM: The Whale Valley, Iceland, 2013, 15 minutes, Gudmundur Gudmundson
11:15AM: Life in a Fishbowl, Iceland, 2014, 130 minutes, Baldwin Zophoniasson (Oscar Submission)
2:00PM: Speedwalking, Denmark, 2014, 109 minutes, Niels Arden Oplev
5:00PM: Heart of a Lion, Finland, 2013, 104 minutes, Dome Karukoski
7:30PM: 1001 Grams, Norway, 2014, 93 minutes, Bent Hamer (Oscar Submission)

Saturday, January 24
10:30AM: Ivan's Day, Estonia, 2014, 30 minutes, Ivan Pavljutskov
11:30AM: In the Crosswind, Estonia, 2014, 87 minutes, Martti Helde
3:30PM: Concrete Night, Finland, 2013, 96 minutes, Pirjo Honkasalo (Oscar submission)
5:00PM: Force Majeure, Sweden, 2014, 118 minutes (Oscar submission)
7:30PM: SWEA Grant Presentation, The Dog Walker will be shown (short)
8:00PM: Miss Julie, Sweden, 2013, 85 minutes, Mikael Berg

Sunday, January 25
11:00AM: Pioneer, Norway, 2013, 111 minutes, Erik Skjoldbjaerg
1:15PM: The Gambler, Lithuania, 2013, 109 minutes, Ignas Jonynas
3:30PM: Raspberry Boat Refugee,Finland, 2014, 87 minutes, Leif Lindblom
5:30PM: In Order of Disappearance, Norway, 2014, 115 minutes, Hans Petter Moland
7:30PM: Itsi Bitsi, Denmark, 2014, 107 minutes, Ole Christian Madsen

See you at the festival!

XXX
Raymond Lo