Favorites from Vega's Head of Programming
Head of programming at Vega Scene, Truls Foss, has picked out seven highlights from this year's Oslo Pix program.
Foss has already seen large parts of the program, and has therefore curated a selection of films he considers the most exciting.
«From the pitch-black and occult, to a reconciliatory family drama on Gran Canaria, to an intricate meta-narrative, a gripping portrayal of depression or a hyper-aestheticised film. The films in this year's Oslo Pix span widely, both thematically and visually. Here are seven of my favourites from this year's programme. Enjoy the films!» says Truls Foss.
4 MONTHS, 3 WEEKS AND 2 DAYS
Otilia and Gabita share a room in a student dormitory. Gabita has become pregnant but does not want to keep the child. In a country and at a time when abortion was strictly forbidden, it is an act that is not only punishable but also life-threatening. The brutality, humiliation, and lies the two girls must endure is also the story of a country and an era. Abuse of power and betrayal lurk within all people, and the only ones they can trust are each other.
BARRIO TRISTE
I utkanten av Medellín, en gang på slutten av 1980-tallet, melder innbyggerne om merkelige lys på himmelen over byen. Da en reporter ankommer for å undersøke saken, blir han overfalt av en gruppe tenåringer som stjeler kameraet hans. Tenåringene bruker det til å dokumentere sin kaotiske hverdag.
BITTER CHRISTMAS
Raúl has writer's block. Whatever he does, he can't seem to get out of it. He's previously found inspiration in his boyfriend Santi, but that well is empty. When his loyal assistant, Mónica, has to take time off work to handle a personal crisis, he finds inspiration in her tragedy. The story Raúl is writing is about his alter ego, the filmmaker Elsa. She is also struggling to find her way back to that creative spark, and uses her friends' problems as material for her new film.
BUTTERFLY
Half-sisters Lily and Diana reluctantly return to Gran Canaria, where their mother has died in mysterious circumstances. When they discover she has tried to establish a retreat centre at the island, they are drawn into a series of events that have unexpected consequences. We are taken on a journey in the mother's wild footsteps, from the tourist machine to the hidden heart of Gran Canaria – an alternative universe in the Canarian mountains.
ERUPCJA
On a vacation in Poland with her boyfriend Rob, Bethany (played by Charli XCX) reunites with her former friend Nel, and an immediate attraction emerges between them.
HER PRIVATE HELL
A mysterious fog descends on a futuristic metropolis. Hidden within it is a creature that kills young women. A young film star confronts her difficult relationship with her father, while an American soldier searches for his daughter, convinced she is being held captive in hell. This is Nicolas Winding Refn's latest film, and it contains all his signature moves – neon colours, aestheticised extreme violence, a hypnotic rhythm, a superb score, this time by the legendary Pino Donaggio, and a stripped-down plot that is perhaps less important than the stylistic flourishes.
LOW EXPECTATIONS
How far will you go to reach your dreams, when everything you do to succeed only makes you miserable? Several intense years after her breakthrough, Maja collapses. The acclaimed artist is forced to put her career and life on pause. Depressed and out of money, she moves back home to her mother, who has found her a part-time job at a high school. Maja faces a harsh encounter with ordinary everyday life and must figure out her life all over again.