Los Angeles, CA (April 27th, 2021) – The Norwegian film HIM, a clever and convincing contemplation of the modern male condition directed by Guro Bruusgaard, screened as a part of the Moscow International Film Festival’s Main Competition and was followed by a press conference taking place on April 22nd. HIM has already elicited strong positive reactions from critics at the festival, being deemed “one of the best films in the competition” by some press.
A work driven by the collaborative efforts of Guro Bruusgaard and production collective Alternativet Produksjon, HIM follows a day in the life of three men of different ages in Oslo as they deal with the emotional and social fallout of situations that trigger their own humiliation, anger, and disappointment. Harald (Frank Werner Laug), a young schoolboy, faces the frustration of being misunderstood by his classmates and reprimanded by his teacher; unemployed Eirik (Emil Johnsen) is left alone and distressed when he is denied more help from the unemployment agency; while screenwriter Petter’s (Johannes Joner) passion project loses funding in favor of a female screenwriter’s project.
The Official Trailer for HIM written by Fijona Jonuzi and Guro Bruusgaard directed by Guro Bruusgaard and starring Johannes Joner, Emil Johnsen, Frank Werner Laug
Synopsis: “HIM” consists of three separate stories in one film. Harald (11) is a boy who constantly falls outside the group. He is not recognized either by friends, school, or parents. Emil (30) is unemployed, he is angry and looks down on everyone else. Petter (60) is a Norwegian renowned scriptwriter who wants to make a film about the national hero Fridtjof Nansen. Two men and one boy, one day in Oslo, all experience a social and emotional fall. The film discusses the male role in contemporary Norway.
As a female-led project, HIM strikes a perceptive balance of contemplation and empathy in its deep-dive into the male ego and its vulnerabilities, while keeping women as integral figures to the story and its nuanced moral subtext. Grounded by powerful performances, the film probes the deep-rooted emotional complexity of men whose inner turmoil has driven them to self-destructive ends – a tragic reality that has grown increasingly relevant in the modern age.
HIM enters the international stage following a year chock-full of powerhouse Norwegian films, six of which nabbed spots on the Oscar shortlists, including the feature-length Hope, Gunda, and The Painter and the Thief and the nominated documentary short Do Not Split. The film’s production is proof of the vitality of Norway’s burgeoning film scene and culture, which has been evolving to allow filmmakers to take risks and focus on the stories they deem truly important to tell.
Alternativet Produksjon, the innovative production company behind the film, is, in fact, a collective of filmmakers who collaborate on projects regardless of film institute funding, instead of creating an internal economy in which their talents are exchanged on projects in different roles and capacities. Aside from HIM, Alternativet Produksjon has released the shorts The Forest by Magnus Mork, What Is a Woman? by Marin Håskjold, and the feature, We Are Here Now by Mariken Halle and are currently in production with Mariken Halle’s Corona-feature The Outdoor Schooland Katja Eyde Jacobsen’s The Second Sex.
The film is also supported by the Norwegian Film Institute, Eurimages, and The Arts Council Norway. It is set for a theatrical release in Norway on June 4th, 2021.
Reviews:
“A concise, sharply observed character study… a crisply-executed piece that Bruusgaard pulls off with wit and elegance” – Jonathan Romney, Screen International
“Unwaveringly accomplished cinematic realism… assisted by some marvelous performances.” – P. Stuart Robinson, Montages Magazine
“One of the best films in the competition…” – Stas Tyrkin, Komsomolskaya Pravda “Psychology was and is a catalyst for any kind of development or destructive behavior in society, and cinema is a mouthpiece that draws attention to serious problems in a very clever organic film language… for us, it was a small but medicine pill.” – Festival Film
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