Nordic Noir television series and films are so popular now that Danish tourism websites actually promote ‘Nordic Noir Tours’. Series such as The Bridge and The Killing have not only been huge hits at home, but in the UK and around the world as well. Cinematically shot and often with strong female lead characters, shows such as The Bridge have already been re-made by the British and Americans, confirming just how influential Scandinavian television is at the moment. However, there’s nothing like the original, so don’t miss the start of season 2 of The Bridge, kicking off on Tuesday this week.
Nordic Noir television series and films are so popular now that Danish tourism websites actually promote ‘Nordic Noir Tours’. Series such as The Bridge and The Killing have not only been huge hits at home, but in the UK and around the world as well. Cinematically shot and often with strong female lead characters, shows such as The Bridge have already been re-made by the British and Americans, confirming just how influential Scandinavian television is at the moment. However, there’s nothing like the original, so don’t miss the start of season 2 of The Bridge, kicking off on Tuesday this week.
Tuesday 7th July … The Bridge
The first episode of The Bridge began with the lights being mysteriously turned off on the Øresund Bridge that connects Sweden and Denmark. When the lights come back on, a dead body is lying directly in the middle of the bridge. After the cops have examined the scene, the body is moved and it’s at this point it becomes sickeningly obvious the body has been cut in half. As the episode continues, we discover that the top and bottom halves of this female body actually belong to different people; a Swedish politician and a Danish prostitute. It was extraordinary start to a television series – one that will remain with me for longer than I’d like – but I was gripped by this dark, creepy Scandi crime thriller. In this new series, the two main characters, Danish inspector Martin Rohde and Swedish Saga Norén are back, and after recovering from the tragic consequences of series one, have found themselves working on a new, bizarre case together. If you missed the first series, it will take a few episodes to get on top of who’s who – but my goodness, it’s worth it.
Thursday 9th July … Is The Man Who Is Tall Happy?
A first impression of Is The Man Who Is Tall Happy, is that of perplexed delight. Who is this whacky French man with his lilting English interviewing Noam Chomsky, and then presenting the conversation to us via hand drawn animation? It all makes sense when you discover filmmaker Michel Gondry is behind this unique and revealing look into the life and work of the famous linguist, philosopher and activist. This is a personal project for Gondry’s who clearly admires the revolutionary thinker, and it’s a much more intimate piece of cinema compared to Gondry’s more recent work such as Mood Indigo and The Green Hornet. It takes a while to settle into this discussion which is as heavy as it is playful at times, however at the end of the day, it’s a film that reveals as much about it’s maker as well as it’s subject. An intriguing film indeed.
Saturday 11th July … Camp X-Ray
It was always going to be a long road back from dating a vampire for Kristen Stewart, but thanks to films such as On the Road, Sill Alice and Camp X-Ray, she’s proving there’s more to her than just a teen fantasy romance queen. In Camp X-Ray, debut feature film writer and director Peter Sattler tries to find commonality between two people both stuck in a place they don’t want to be. Stewart’s character joins the military and is posted to Guantanamo Bay where she strikes up an unlikely friendship with one of the detainees played by A Separation’s Peyman Moaadi. Sattler’s approach is apolitical, even though the highly political and controversial setting makes it hard to ignore the many issues this film could have raised. However, Stewart and Moaadi do an excellent job of driving this character driven drama and it’s an intriguing glimpse into daily life at the Guantanamo Bay Camp.