R&A Shorts: Nordic Gems

Showcasing the best new Nordic short films, Nordic Gems delves into the complexities of family life and questions of identity.

Young Bruno isn’t invited to any of his classmates’ birthday parties – neither the girls’ nor the boys’. Gender diversity emerges as a theme in the Danish drama Birthdays, which at times takes on a documentary-like quality.

The Icelandic animation Sundruð, which premiered at Annecy this summer, introduces Neema, a young migrant woman whose weekly routine includes swimming. Making contact with her fellow swimmers proves difficult, as her Icelandic is still at a beginner’s level. However, in the hot pool she eventually finds a healing connection that comes at just the right time.

The Norwegian film Poor Me plunges us into the midst of a comically explosive family drama. A teenage daughter is caught shoplifting and drags her little sister into the mess as well.

The Swedish film Without Kelly, which won the award for best short film at the Venice Film Festival, is a poignantly tender portrayal of a young mother who has to leave her baby in someone else’s care. Esther wanders aimlessly through the city at night, unsure of what to do with herself.

Annu Suvanto