Carlsberg Scandinavian Film Festival made a majestic opening with the Australian Premiere of MARGRETE – QUEEN OF THE NORTH (Margrete den første), a lavish historical drama set in 1402 from acclaimed director Charlotte Sieling. It explores the legacy and dilemmas faced by Denmark’s Queen Margrete (the brilliant Trine Dyrholm) a visionary ruler who brokered the historic Kalmar Union uniting Sweden, Norway and Denmark.
However, the union is beset by enemies and therefore Margrete is planning a marriage between her adopted son, Erik, and an English princess. An alliance with England should secure the union’s status as an emerging European power, but a breathtaking conspiracy is under way that could tear Margrete and all that she believes in apart.
Directed and co-written by Sieling and inspired by actual events surrounding the reign of Queen Margrete I, Margrete – Queen of the North is a lavish historical drama that blends grand visuals with the psychological unease of a chamber piece, exploring the legacy of a visionary ruler who brokered the historic Kalmar Union.
A searing historical tale that has extraordinarily strong resonance to the contemporary world of female leaders battling patriarchal power and factional in fighting, not to mention church interference, MARGRETE – QUEEN OF THE NORTH is essential viewing, not the least for the towering performance of Trine Dyrholm in the title role.
Dyrholm also stars in A MATTER OF TRUST (Ingen kender dagen), a tender and moving portrait of interpersonal trust and unspoken truths. Five stories intertwine in Annette K. Olesen’s artful, elliptical, and bittersweet relationship drama.
Baffling and obscure is Finland’s THE WOODCUTTER STORY (Metsurin tarina), the directorial debut of Mikko Myllylahti, about Pepe the woodcutter, whose quiet life is suddenly torn apart by a series of tragic events over the course of a few days, but he seems to be fine with it, cos maybe it’s jus a dream.
Closing the festival is another historical saga, THE NEW LAND (Nybyggarna),the 1972 sequel to the original THE EMIGRANTS (Utvandrarna), starring cinema legends Max von Sydow and Liv Ullmann as Swedish immigrants who struggle to establish a new life for themselves in the forest of Minnesota in the mid 19th Century. In 1973, the film was nominated for an Oscar and won Best Foreign Language film at the Golden Globes and in 2022 celebrates its fiftieth anniversary.
This year’s Festival celebrates Scandi Screen Sirens with the much-loved classics CASABLANCA (1942) starring Ingrid Bergman; QUEEN CHRISTINA (1933) starring the enigmatic Greta Garbo and the 2013 final cut version of classic folk horror film THE WICKER MAN (1973) starring 70s icon Britt Ekland. Norway’s Liv Ullmann stars in Ingmar Bergman’s Weimar Republic drama THE SERPENT’S EGG (1977) and closing night film THE NEW LAND (Nybyggarna, 1972).
This year’s specially curated selection encompasses films from Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden with a number arriving direct from this year’s Cannes Film Festival.
The 2022 Carlsberg Scandinavian Film Festival will run to 10 August.
Tickets are now on sale at www.scandinavianfilmfestival.com
Listing details:
Sydney:12 July – 7 August, Palace Norton, Palace Central, Palace Verona and Chauvel Cinema (selected sessions)
For more information, visit scandinavianfilmfestival.com and follow us on Insta/Facebook@ScandiFilmFest