25th Edition of Nordisk Panorama closes

Nordisk Panorama the annual celebration of documentaries and short films from the Nordic regions, which this year took place in Malmö, Sweden has closed with Denmark picking up the plaudits on offer for short films

The Best Nordic Short Film Award was awarded to Wayward directed by Kira Richards Hansen. With her previous film Damn Girlproving a popular one across the festival circuit, Hansen once again focuses on the pain of growing up as she tells the story 14-year-old girl who works at a car workshop and hangs out with friends. She is a little outrageous in her search for identity, and her behaviour has repercussions that force her to acknowledge a new side of who she is. The jury – made up of Iris Brey, Semaine de la Critique (France), Samir Karahoda, DokuFest (Kosovo) and Jenifer Malmqvist, Winner 2013 (Sweden) said about the film:

“A successful short movie, despite its length, reveals a world of its own and is able to draw the spectator into it. We were pulled into this story thanks to an intriguing character who defies the system and fights to find where she belongs. This lonesome cowboy seduced us by his complexity, vulnerability and fierceness. It’s a classical drama that challenges the notion of gender in a profound way, a film that explores darkness while instilling hope in the spectator. A film carried by an exceptional performance that kept us on the edge of our seats.”

An honorary mention went to Swedish documentary/animation Stillborn, Åsa Sandzén’s powerful film about losing a child at birth

The Best New Nordic Voice Award went to Alexander Lind’s Carl & Niels, a production of the The National Film School of Denmark. The moving documentary about two twins who face losing each other was described by the jury – made up of Ulla Simonen, DocPoint (Finland, Kjetil Lismoen, Rushprint (Norway) and Ása Hjörleifsdóttir, New Nordic Voice 2013 (Iceland) – as follows:

“We all have to wrestle with our identity in life. But when that struggle becomes inseparable from another persons struggle, the plot thickens. The winner of this year’s New Nordic Voices Award takes this struggle to another level, when portraying the close, sometimes claustrophobic relationship between two siblings. By placing the two protagonists opposite each other in a minimalist setting, the filmmakers make a bold decision that pays off. Instead of becoming an immovable standoff, the story of their lives deepens and becomes a fascinating and original journey through a complicated brotherhood. There is joy and playfulness in the relationship, but also violence and danger lurking underneath. We get a clear sense that something is at stake and we never know what is going to happen next.

In this, the jury was in no doubt: The Danish film Carl & Niels stands out as a more than accomplished piece of filmmaking, and makes us curious about the filmmakers next move. In other words: a new voice to be reckoned with.”