Scandinavian Cinema
'Scandinavian' is an Alice grouping which includes Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark and Iceland. To find films from one of these countries specifically use the 'By Country' link on the left hand menu.
From the sublime to the ridiculous; from Bergman to Lars von Trier, there is something in this section for everyone.
Films from this region are often deeply personal and have a brutal honesty about them. Characters are often deeply flawed or troubled but not judged. The Dogme 95 collective (founded by Lars von Trier and Thomas Vinterberg) exemplifies this attitude in their manifesto. Not just the stories but the film-making process itself is absolutely 'no frills'. (Visit www.dogme95.dk for more details.)
Other notables in this section include the quirky Finlander, Aki Kaurismaki, Fridrik Thor Fridrikkson from Iceland and Norwegian, Erik Skjoldjaerg.
Pictured: "It's one of the most delicious parts I've ever played. I've never been such a bastard before." Stellan Skaarsgard on his role in the rivetting 'Zero Kelvin'
The Passion of Anna (1970)
7.8/10
Director: Ingmar Bergman
Starring: Max von Sydow, Liv Ullmann, Bibi Andersson, Erland Josephson
A stark, psychological drama from Ingmar Bergman starring Max von Sydow as a former convict living on an isolated island farmhouse who becomes involve... Read more
The Queen of Sheba's Pearls (2004)
5.2/10
Director: Colin Nutley
Starring: Helena Bergstrom, Lorcan Cranitch, Lindsay Duncan, Tim Dutton, Rollo Weeks, Eliz...
Set in post-war England, a young man celebrates his 16th birthday when a strange and beautiful woman appears at the door. She bears a striking resemb... Read more
The Sacrifice (1986)
8.1/10
Director: Andrei Tarkovsky
Starring: Erland Josephson, Susan Fleetwood, Valerie Mairesse
Andrei Tarkovsky's epitaph, a dark and complex film about redemption and nuclear holocaust, filmed inexile from his native Russia in Sweden, and starr... Read more
The Seventh Seal (1957)
8.2/10
Director: Ingmar Bergman
Starring: Gunnar Bjornstrand, Bengt Ekerot, Max von Sydow, Bibi Andersson
Disillusioned and exhausted after a decade of battling in the Crusades, a knight (Max von Sydow) encounters Death on a desolate beach and challenges h... Read more
The Silence (1963)
8/10
Director: Ingmar Bergman
Starring: Ingrid Thulin, Gunnel Lindblom, Jorgen Lindstrom
Part of the Bergman trilogy dealing with the existence of God. Two women are stranded in a remote village where the language is incomprehensible. As o... Read more
The Spider (Edderkoppen) (2000)
4.5/10
Starring: Jakob Cedergren, Stine Stengade, Lars Mikkelsen
A reporter is drawn into the dark side of post-war Copenhagen as he attempts to uncover a crime syndicate on an unprecedented level. In 1949, durin... Read more
The Virgin Spring (1960)
8.1/10
Director: Ingmar Bergman
Starring: Max von Sydow, Birgitta Valberg, Gunnel Lindblom
This stunning work stars Max Von Sydow in an exploration of a father's revenge for the rape and murder of his daughter. The highly contrasting black a... Read more
The Wave (2016)
7.6/10
Director: Roar Uthaug
Starring: Thomas Bo Larsen, Kristoffer Joner, Fridtjov Saheim, Ane Dahl Torp
Kristian, an experienced geologist has accepted a job offer out of town. He is getting ready to move with his family, when he and his colleagues measu... Read more
The Weight of Elephants (2013)
6.5/10
Director: Daniel Joseph Borgman
Starring: Catherine Wilkin, Matthew Sunderland, Demos Murphy, Angelina Cottrell, Finn Hold...
Sensitive 11-year-old Adrian (Demos Murphy) is struggling with his fears and anxieties since the disappearance of three kids in his small town. Then o... Read more
The Worst Person In The World (2021)
7.9/10
Director: Joachim Trier
Starring: Anders Danielsen Lie
The chronicles of four years in the life of Julie, a young woman who navigates the troubled waters of her love life and struggles to find her career p... Read more