A Cinematic Tribute to Henrik Ibsen

2006 is an Ibsen year. On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the death of the Norwegian playwright the Nordic Film Days are dedicating a tribute to Henrik Ibsen. Three Norwegian adaptations from different decades mark the breadth of the Ibsen reception in film. They range from the classic version of The Wild Duck (1963), a faithful adaptation of the original by the renowned post-war director Tancred Ibsen, grandson of the dramatist, and the historical drama Lady Inger by Sverre Udnæs from the 1970s, on up to Enemy of the People from the year 2005. In this version, screenwriter Nikolaj Frobenius and director Erik Skjoldbærg have radically modernized the story, which is enhanced by the music of Jan Garbarek. A new German adaptation of the Peer Gynt fable by Uwe Janson starring Robert Stadlober (“Crazy”) will also be shown. In his documentation The Lion, made especially for this anniversary, Alexander Wisting has discovered surprising aspects in the character of the combative humanist Ibsen.

16 October 2006