Danish Drama ‘As In Heaven’ Nabs Best Nordic Film at Hybrid Göteborg Fest

Danish debut feature helmer-writer Tea Lindeburg’s period drama “As In Heaven,” that portrays a fateful summer day and night in 19^th century farming society, came away the biggest winner at the 44th Göteborg Film Festival, scoring on Saturday the best Nordic film kudo, this year worth approx. $44,000.

Meanwhile, Seidi Haarla of Finland’s Oscar-shortlisted drama, “Compartment No. 6” took the best acting prize. The film, helmed by Juho Kuosmanen, also nabbed the FIPRESCI critics nod.

Norway-born DP Sturla Brandth Grøvlen claimed the Sven Nykvist Cinematography Award for his work on the Norwegian film “The Innocents,” directed by Eskil Vogt. The perfectly executed thriller about rival playmates with paranormal abilities also took the audience award for best Nordic film.

Danish helmer Simon Lereng Wilmont captured the best Nordic documentary title and a purse of approx. $27,000 for “A House Made Of Splinters,” a masterful portrayal of the children and daily life at an orphanage in Eastern Ukraine. It has been a good fortnight for Lering Wilmont, who, a week earlier, also landed the Sundance World Cinema documentary prize for best director.

Marking another strong showing for Kosovar female helmers whose female characters fight the patriarchy, director Kaltrina Krasniqi scored the Ingmar Bergman international debut award for her drama “Vera Dreams Of The Sea.”

The unique prize consists of a stay at The Bergman Estate on Fårö and a visit to Ingmar Bergman’s personal archive in Stockholm. Meanwhile, the festival audience voted the best international film title to Oscar-shortlisted Belgian helmer-writer Laura Wandel’s “Playground,” a gripping, naturalistic drama about school bullying.

A new award for best Swedish short in the program that excels in its form or challenges the format went to “2gether” from Kim Ekberg.

Kudos granted earlier in the festival include the Church of Sweden award to Felix Herngren for “Day by Day,” a road movie dramedy about tolerance; the Nordisk Film & TV Fond Prize for a series to Icelandic showrunners Gísli Örn Gardarsson, Björn Hlynur Haraldsson and Mikael Torfason for “Blackport”; and best Swedish short to “Bromance” by SaraKlara Hellström.