Artists' Present
RETROSPECTIVE: MIKROFILM
Appointments & Tickets
Films
Mikrofilm’s first major feature film “Titina” marks the latest highlight in the history of this Oslo-based studio, which was founded and is still run entirely by women. Lise Fearnley and, back then, freshly graduated director Kajsa Næss founded Mikrofilm in 1996. What followed was a steady output of commissioned work and artistic shorts by a team whose credo is deeply rooted in its passion for animation. Originally specialising in 2D animation, they kept pushing the envelope, always searching for new visual expressions, while also producing stop motion works based on collages and puppets. Their success story includes numerous nominations and an Academy Award for “The Danish Poet” by Torill Kove in 2007.
This two-part retrospective comprises, on the one hand, the feature film “Titina” (2022), based on the true story of a North Pole expedition by airship in 1926. The story is told from the perspective of a fox terrier who also serves as the movie’s namesake. On the other hand, the programme offers a selection of the best films from the last decade dealing with major moments in history and reflecting on society and its challenges. Directors include Torill Kove, Hanne Berkaak, Adel Khan Farooq and Margrethe Danielsen.
Me and My Moulton
A seven-year-old girl longs, like all other children, for a bicycle. However, her embarrassingly unconventional parents, modernist architects, see things a little differently. Torill Kove’s autobiographically inspired look at the alienation between parents and children was nominated for an Academy Award as the Best Animated Short Film in 2015. Direction Torill Kove Duration 13' Language English Country Canada, Year 2014
It's Up to You
At kindergarten, nobody else’s dads are in prison. And that’s the problem... This animated documentary is about the painful experience of growing up with an imprisoned father. Winner of the Best Short Documentary Award at Bergen International Film Festival in 2013. Direction Kajsa Næss Duration 15' Language NO/en Country Norway Year 2013
Little Boy
On 6 August 1945, two suns rose over Hiroshima. The first heralded the dawning day, the second the horrific flash of light from the atomic bomb codenamed “Little Boy” that plunged the Japanese city into nuclear catastrophe. Direction Kristian Pedersen Duration 5' Language English Country Norway Year 2018
Farce
A Sami reindeer herder falls into the clutches of greed and decadence when he tries to save both his reindeer and the woman he loves. A merciless story in an uncompromising style about fatal desires, described by director Robin Jensen as a “kick in the gut against the rich and wealthy who get away with almost anything”. Direction Robin Jensen Duration 11' Language no dialogue Country Norway Year 2019
Frydenlund Hair Parlour
Narvik, a small Norwegian town in the turmoil of the Second World War: five siblings create a little haven of normality for the women of the town with their hair salon. We follow 17-year-old Anna, whose life is put on hold just as it is about to begin. The film, by Hanne Berkaak, is based on true events. Direction Hanne Berkaak Duration 14' Language NO/en Country Norway, Year 2021
Cockroaches
In a dystopian city on the verge of collapse, cockroaches have taken over. 17-year-old Tim is sent on a mission to blow up the cockroaches’ nest and save his hometown, but an encounter causes him to reconsider his perception of reality. A story about exclusion and extremism, the search for acceptance and fatal consequences. Direction Adel Khan Farooq Duration 10' Language NO/en Country Norway Year 2022