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'
Eyewitness (Øyevitne) (2014)
7.7/10
Starring: Tobias Santelmann
Two 15 year old boys secretly meet up in the forest, only to witness a blood bath. They are seen, but escape trying to keep this as a secret, both in... Read more
Face To Face (1976)
7.7/10
Director: Ingmar Bergman
Starring: Liv Ullmann, Erland Josephson, Gunnar Bjornstrand
A sensitive exploration of the tragic irony of the psychiatrist suffering with mental illness. Dr. Jenny Isaksson is a psychiatrist married to another... Read more
Faithless (2000)
7.5/10
Director: Liv Ullmann
Starring: Erland Josephson, Lena Endre
Loosely based on an episode in the life of it's writer, Ingmar Bergman, this haunting account of regret and lost love has frail director Bergman (Erla... Read more
Fanny and Alexander (The Television Version) (1982)
8.1/10
Director: Ingmar Bergman
Starring: Pernilla Allwin, Bertil Guve, Ewa Froling, Jan Malmsjo, Erland Josephson, Gunn W...
Ingmar Bergman has described 'Fanny and Alexander' as "the sum total of my life as a filmmaker." And in this, the full-length (309-minute) version of... Read more
Fanny and Alexander (The Theatrical Version) (1982)
8.1/10
Director: Ingmar Bergman
Starring: Pernilla Allwin, Bertil Guve, Gunn Wallgren, Ewa Froling, Jan Malmsjo, Erland Jo...
Through the eyes of ten-year-old Alexander (Bertil Guve), we witness the great delights and conflicts of the Ekdahl family, a sprawling, convivial bou... Read more
Festen ( The Celebration ) (1998)
7.5/10
Director: Thomas Vinterberg
Starring: Thomas Bo Larsen, Henning Moritzen, Paprika Steen, Ulrich Thomsen
A hugely dysfunctional family arrives at a secluded hotel for a 60th birthday party for the family patriarch. Suffice it to say, things don't go as ch... Read more
Flee (2021)
7.9/10
FLEE tells the extraordinary true story of a man, Amin, on the verge of marriage which compels him to reveal his hidden past for the first time. Read more
Force Majeure (2014)
7.3/10
Director: Ruben Östlund
Starring: Clara Wettergren, Johannes Kuhnke, Lisa Loven Kongsli, Kristofer Hivju, Fanni Me...
Cannes observers were stunned that this provocative and improbably entertaining new film by Swedish director Ruben Östlund wasn't selected for competi... Read more
Gertrud (1964)
7.5/10
Director: Carl Theodor Dreyer
Starring: Nina Pens Rode, Bendt Rothe
Acclaimed director Carl Dreyer's ('The Passion of Joan of Arc') final film, 'Gertrud' is the story of a woman's search for a romantic ideal of total a... Read more
Hamilton: In the Interest of the Nation (2012)
6.4/10
Director: Kathrine Windfeld
Starring: Jason Flemyng, Pernilla August, Mikael Persbrandt, Lennart Hjulstrom
Masked soldiers attack a vehicle loaded with hightech missiles in an attempted smuggling operation in Uzbekistan. Meanwhile, a Swedish engineer is kid... Read more