Sentimental Value

Please note the film does not have fully English dialogue or subtitles!

The spirit of Ingmar Bergman is strongly present in one of this year’s most magnificent movie gems, a ruggedly beautiful and unsentimental story of love, mercy, art and sisterhood.

Stellan Skarsgård is an egotistical film director whose selfish choices have left his now grown-up daughters lacerated. Nora (Renate Reinsve) is a hot-headed straight talker, an actress suffering from crippling stage fright, who has a complex relationship with her father, her work in the theatre — and herself. The seemingly lucid sister Agnes (Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas) lives a nuclear family life and is sentimental only in her research work.

At the heart of the story is the sisters’ National Romantic childhood home, which hides doors, memories and secrets within. One day, the director father brings in actress Rachel Kemp (Elle Fanning), the star of his next film…

Four years ago, Joachim Trier, Renate Reinsve and Trier’s co-writer Eskil Vogt caused a sensation with their film The Worst Person in the World. Now they are spoiling us even more with their new film, which enchanted in Cannes.

The stunningly intense film knocks the wind out of the audience. Renate Reinsve’s eyes burn a hole in the screen through which we see ghosts whacking and caressing the living.

Saija Holm (translated by Moritz Müller), R&A 2025

The free screening are presented together with the European Parliament. The film is subtitled in Finnish and Swedish.