The Five Nordics - Berlinale 2025
NORDIC LINE-UP IN OFFICIAL SELECTION
COMPETITION
DREAMS
by Dag Johan Haugerud
Johanne's intimate writings about her first love stir friction within her family, prompting her mother and grandmother to reexamine their own realities and dreams.
Official Screenings
Wed, Feb 19 | 15.15 | Berlinale Palast
Thu, Feb 20 | 18:45 | Uber Eats Music Hall
Fri, Feb 21 | 17:00 | Kino im Zeiss-Großplanetarium
Fri, Feb 21 | 21:00 | Haus der Berliner Festspiele
Sun, Feb 23 | 12:30 | Haus der Berliner Festspiele
Market Screenings
Wed, Feb 19 | 17.00 | CinemaxX 4
Wed, Feb 19 | 17.30 | Virtual Cinema 1
COMING-OF-AGE, DRAMA, ROMANCE | 2024 | 110 min
ORIGINAL TITLE Drømmer DIRECTOR Dag Johan Haugerud SCREENWRITER Dag Johan Haugerud PRODUCTION Yngve Sæther and Hege Hauff Hvattum for Motlys AS CAST Ella Øverbye, Selome Emnetu, Ane Dahl Thorp, Anne Marit Jacobsen DOMESTIC RELEASE October 11, 2024 SALES M-Appeal FESTIVALS Norwegian Film Institute
PANORAMA
HOME SWEET HOME
by Frelle Petersen
Produced by: Jonas Frederiksen/Zentropa Productions
Sales: TrustNordisk
As Sofie, a single mother, is starting in a new job as home care worker she needs to balance the demanding job among the local communities’ citizens, and the everyday life with her daughter, Clara.
PANORAMA
YALLA PARKOUR
by Areeb Zuaiter
Produced by: Basel Mawlawi/Kinana Films
Sales: ArtHood Entertainment
In her relentless pursuit of a memory that reinforces her sense of belonging, Areeb crosses paths with Ahmed, a parkour athlete in Gaza, sparking a journey where conflicting aspirations intersect. Nostalgia meets with ambition, and the weight of a confined past meets with an unpredictable future.
PANORAMA
THE UGLY STEPSISTER
by Emilie Blichfeldt
Produced by: Maria Ekerhovd/Merfilm
Sales: Memento International
Being an ugly stepsister isn’t easy. Elvira dreams of the dazzling heartthrob, Prince Julian. When he invites guests to a ball to find his bride, Elvira is willing to do whatever it takes to win his heart. She must conform to the kingdom’s ruthless beauty standards, get the enchanting Cinderella out of the way, and, most importantly, fit the shoe!
PANORAMA
BEGINNINGS
by Jeanette Nordahl
Produced by: Eva Jakobsen, Mikkel Jersin og Katrin Pors/Snowglobe
Sales: Scanbox
Ane and Thomas are on the verge of being divorced, but they have not told their children yet. Thomas is planning to move in with his new girlfriend when Ane is suddenly struck down by a life-changing stroke. The soon-to-be-ex-couple decide to continue living together until Ane recovers. While she fights fiercely to regain her old self, they both must face a new reality. In doing so, they find hope where they least expect it.
FORUM
THE LONG ROAD TO THE DIRECTOR’S CHAIR
by Vibeke Løkkeberg
Produced by: Anders Tangen/Norway Film Development, Viafilm and Centralfilm
Sales: TBA
In November 1973, the young Vibeke Løkkeberg travelled with a film crew to the first international women’s film seminar at the Kino Arsenal in Berlin, to screen her documentary film Abort and to document the event. The footage, shot on 16mm with external sound recording, was put aside and only recently rediscovered by the National Library of Norway. The footage has recently been restored, resulting in the documentary feature The Long Road to the Director's Chair
GENERATION
THE THIEF
by Christoffer Rizvanovic Stenbakken
Produced by Asbjørn Høgstad Kelstrup/Frau Film & Piteraq Pictures
Sales Gargantua Film Distribution
Kaali, a boy with special needs, embarks on an intense search through Tasiilaq, East Greenland, to find his missing sled dog. Challenged by young bullies, he recovers the dog but risks losing his only friend
GENERATION
ONLY ON EARTH
by Robin Petrés
Produced by: Malene Flindt Pedersen og Signe Skov Thomsen/Hansen & Pedersen
Sales: Autlook Filmsales
Only on Earth takes us on an immersive and visually striking journey into Southern Galicia, one of Europe’s most vulnerable wildfire zones. During the hottest summer on record, both humans and animals struggle to cope as inextinguishable fires draw closer. Wild horses have roamed the Galician mountains for centuries, playing a crucial role in fire prevention by curbing flammable undergrowth - but their numbers are dwindling as human development clashes with nature.
BERLINALE SERIES MARKET
VIGDÍS
by Björn Hlynur Haraldsson, Tinna Hrafnsdóttir
Produced by: Rakel Garðarsdóttir and Ágústa M. Ólafsdóttir/Vesturport
Sales: REinvent
Vigdís is a four-part drama about Vigdís, a young woman in the 1940s who, despite insecurities, runs for president in 1980 and becomes the first woman in the world to be elected. Her story highlights courage, hope, and the fight for equality.
