Boy From Heaven wins two major prizes at the Nordic Film Days in Lübeck
by Teresa Vena
- The international co-production by Swedish director Tarik Saleh has been awarded the NDR Film Prize as well as the INTERFILM Church Prize at the German gathering
The 64th edition of the Nordic Film Days took place from 2-6 November in the Northern German city of Lübeck. The festival showed a total of 173 films and series from Scandinavia and the Baltic countries, across several categories. As is the case every year, at the end of the festival, a series of prizes were given out, celebrating the freshest talents in Nordic filmmaking, but also honouring the achievements of emblematic figures from the Nordic film industry. One of the latter is Icelandic director Friðrik Þór Friðriksson, to whom the festival dedicated its annual homage and who received an Honorary Award for his lifetime commitment to Icelandic cinema.
Both the jury of the NDR Film Prize, endowed with €12,500, and that of the INTERFILM Church Prize, valued at €5,000, chose the drama Boy From Heaven [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Tarik Saleh
film profile] by Tarik Saleh as their winner. The film, a co-production between Sweden, France, Finland, Morocco and Denmark, was premiered earlier this year at Cannes, and it is being distributed in Germany by X-Verleih AG. An Honourable Mention from the INTERFILM Church Prize jury went to The Woodcutter Story [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Mykko Myllylahti
film profile] by Mikko Myllylahti, which also premiered at Cannes, and is a co-production between Finland, Denmark, the Netherlands and Germany.
Another film in the programme received two awards: Girl Picture [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Alli Haapasalo
film profile] by Alli Haapasalo, distributed in Germany by Salzgeber & Co. The Finnish coming-of-age flick won the Savings Bank Federation’s Prize for Best Children’s and Youth Film as well as the gong from the youth jury. Both prizes are endowed with €5,000.
The Great Silence [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Kristine Kujath Thorp
film profile] by Danish director Katrine Brocks was crowned Best First Feature Film. For her drama about a young female novice, Brocks received a cash prize of €7,500. Her movie is being sold by TrustNordisk. The Award for Best Documentary, sponsored by DGB North and valued at €5,000, went to a musical documentary about the problems with caring for Finland’s elderly population, Ruthless Times: Songs of Care [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Susanna Helke
film profile] by Finnish director Susanne Helke. Swedish director Magnus Gertten pocketed an Honourable Mention for his portrait of two lesbian women persecuted during World War II, Nelly & Nadine [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Magnus Gertten
film profile].
The Baltic Film Prize for a Nordic Film, another important trophy endowed with €3,000, went to the historical drama Godland [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Elliott Crosset Hove
interview: Hlynur Pálmason
film profile] by Hlynur Pálmason, sold by New Europe Film Sales. Finally, the short equivalent of this prize, the Baltic Film Prize for a Nordic Short Film, including prize money of €5,000, was given to The School by the Sea by Norwegian filmmaker Solveig Melkeraaen, a documentary about a small village school. This award was tied with Blush – An Extraordinary Voyage by Iiti Yli-Harja (Finland).
Here is the complete list of award winners at the 63rd edition of the Nordic Film Days:
NDR Film Prize
Boy From Heaven [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Tarik Saleh
film profile] – Tarik Saleh (Sweden/France/Finland/Morocco/Denmark)
Best First Feature Film
The Great Silence [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Kristine Kujath Thorp
film profile] – Katrine Brocks (Denmark)
Audience Award of the Lübecker Nachrichten
Everybody Hates Johan [+see also:
trailer
film profile] – Hallvar Witzø (Norway/Sweden)
INTERFILM Church Prize
Boy From Heaven – Tarik Saleh
Honourable Mention
The Woodcutter Story [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Mykko Myllylahti
film profile] – Mikko Myllylahti (Finland/Denmark/Netherlands/Germany)
Baltic Film Prize for a Nordic Film
Godland [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Elliott Crosset Hove
interview: Hlynur Pálmason
film profile] – Hlynur Pálmason (Denmark/Iceland/France)
Baltic Film Prize for a Nordic Short Film
The School by the Sea – Solveig Melkeraaen (Norway)
Blush – An Extraordinary Voyage – Iiti Yli-Harja (Finland)
Documentary Film Prize of the North DGB District
Ruthless Times: Songs of Care [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Susanna Helke
film profile] – Susanne Helke (Finland)
Honourable Mention
Nelly & Nadine [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Magnus Gertten
film profile] – Magnus Gertten (Sweden/Norway/ Belgium)
CineStar Prize
and died together one day – Pola Rader (Russia/Germany)
Honourable Mention
Phantom Fight– Gor Margaryan (Germany)
Children's and Youth Film Award of the Gemeinnützige Sparkassenstiftung
Girl Picture [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Alli Haapasalo
film profile] – Alli Haapasalo (Finland)
Children's Jury Award
My Robot Brother – Frederik Nørgaard (Denmark)
Youth Jury Award
Girl Picture – Alli Haapasalo
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