The 44th Göteborg Film Festival, the largest film festival in Scandinavia, will run as an online event due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. The programme comprises a line-up of 70 films from 39 countries during 11 days, January 29 – February 8.
Six films compete in the Nordic Documentary Competition for a first prize that comprises services from the post production company Chimney valued at 250,000 SEK (approx. €24,000). The winner will be announced February 8.
The Nordic Documentary Competition nominated documentaries are:
A Song Called Hate by Anna Hildur (Iceland)
The apolitical Eurovision Song Contest becomes a hot political arena as Icelandic Hatari prepares for their Tel Aviv performance. In front of the 200 million tv-viewers, they are determined to comment on Israel’s occupation of Palestine.
Aalto by Virpi Suutari (Finland)
Aalto is one of the most iconic names in Scandinavian architecture and design. In Virpi Suutari’s visually appealing documentary, we follow the couple Aino and Alvar Aalto’s successful careers.
Be My Voice by Nahid Persson (Sweden),
Journalist and activist Masih Alinejad has 4.5 million followers on Instagram after urging Iranian women to rebel against the forced hijab on social media.
Flee by Jonas Poher Rasmussen (Denmark)
20 years ago, Amin came to Denmark as an unaccompanied refugee child from Afghanistan. Today he is a successful academic and is about to marry his boyfriend, but a well-kept secret threatens to ruin his life and everything he has accomplished.
Into the Fog by Maciej Kalymon (Sweden)
In this hybrid between documentary and fever dream, Malmö’s lonely shadow figures takes us on a hypnotic journey into the fog, where intoxication is the main cure for darkness.
Radiograph of a Family by Firouzeh Khosrovani (Norway, pictured)
A personal and masterfully told family history about the tension between religious and secular notions of life.
Documentaries selected for the non-competitive Voage section are:
MLK/FBI by Sam Pollard (US)
In this astonishing and powerful documentary, unique footage and previously classified information reveales the FBI’s harassment of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.
Mon Amour by David Teboul (France)
With strikingly beautiful images from the Siberian tundra, and his own grief as an open wound, David Teboul composes a powerful cinematic requiem for his beloved partner who recently lost his battle against addiction.
Notturno by Gianfranco Rosi (Italy/France/Germany)
With his unique cinematic gaze, the master of documentary, Gianfranco Rosi, depicts life behind the battles in war-torn areas in the Middle East.
Documentaries selected for the non-competitive Social Distances section are:
Time to Pause by Alistair Morrison (UK)
When lockdown is a fact, iconic photographer Alistar Morrison decides to continue to work, based on the existing conditions. He interviews and photographs ordinary people and captures the essence of the pandemic.
Molecules by Andrea Segre (Italy)
When the Corona virus paralyzes Italy, director Andrea Segre is in Venice to work on a film project about his dead father, the city, its growing tourism and rising waters.
