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 Man Without A Past (2002)
7.7/10
Director: Aki Kaurismaki
Starring: Markku Peltola, Kati Outinen, Juhani Niemela, Kaija Pakarinen
The second part of Aki Kaurismaki's "Finland" trilogy (coming after "Drifting Clouds"), the film follows a man who arrives in Helsinki and gets beaten... Read more
A Song For Martin (2001)
7/10
Director: Bille August
Starring: Sven Wolter, Viveka Seldahl
In director Bille August's meditation on autumnal love, famous composer Martin meets and falls for Barbara a gifted violinist. Abandoning their former... Read more
Minor Mishaps (2001)
6.6/10
Director: Annette K Olesen
Starring: Jorgen Kiil, Maria Wurgler Rich, Jannie Faurschou
Annette K Olesen's entertaining comedy drama combines filmmaking elements from the Dogme manifesto with Mike Leigh's improvisational method. Following... Read more
Italian for Beginners (2001)
7.1/10
Director: Lone Scherfig
Starring: Anders W Berthelsen, Anette Stovelbaek, Ann Eleonora Jorgensen, Peter Gantzler,...
"Italian For Beginners" is a warm and playful story about seven perfect strangers in a small Danish town whose lives become entwined and turned upside... Read more
Cool and Crazy (2001)
7/10
Director: Knut Erik Jensen
Much as "Buena Vista Social Club" revealed a rich and unexplored world of music and culture, "Cool & Crazy" introduces us to a group of men who find p... 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
Songs From The Second Floor (2000)
7.6/10
Director: Roy Andersson
Starring: Lars Nordh
Songs from the Second Floor (Swedish: Sånger från andra våningen) is a Swedish black comedy-drama film which was released to cinemas in Sweden on 6 Oc... 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
The Best Man's Wedding (2000)
Director: Josef Fares
Starring: Fares Fares, Torkel Petersson, Tuva Novotny, Laleh Pourkarim
Aka "Jalla! Jalla!" Roro (Fares Fares) works as an attendant in a Stockholm park with his best friend Mans (Torkel Petersson) and dotes on his Swedish... Read more
101 Reykjavik (2000)
6.9/10
Director: Baltasar Kormakur
Starring: Victoria Abril, Hilmir Snaer Gudnason, Hanna Maria Karlsdottir, Baltasar Kormaku...
A young man's sexual impulses go haywire when he discovers that the woman he has just been to bed with happens to be his mother's lesbian lover. Set a... Read more