From bird-watching to a computer game thriller – films for young viewers boast a varied programme

Unburdened, colourful, weird, sensitive, socio-critical and very courageous: the attributes of this year’s children’s and youth films at the 54. Nordic Film Days Lübeck. A great number of films in the “Films for Young Viewers” section has its German premiere at the festival. Franziska Kremser-Klinkertz, Head of the section, on the broad range of the programme:“Irrespective of whether the films are cheerful and colourful, sad and contemplative or problematizing. Scandinavian filmmakers are once again addressing the target audience of children and adolescents in a most varied and demanding manner.”

Finland is participating in the youth section with two films: The young members of a clique are ALMOST 18 and must all deal with various serious issues in their everyday lives before they meet to party. The impressive thriller RAT KING, deals with computer game addiction, an addiction that causes Juri to become more and more alienated from the real world. But the programme also features strong girl characters: Molly, Ida, Beate and Hanne, the protagonists of SQUEEZE, experience a summer between childhood and adolescence, including their first beer, their first kiss and their first broken heart – a heart-warming film about growing up. An intimate girl friendship is put to the test when the enigmatic Maria shows up in YOU AND ME FOREVER, which features very strong acting performances by its young stars.

The Children’s section includes encounters with old acquaintances, such as Sveppi from Iceland, who embarks on his third screen adventure in THE MAGIC WARDROBE, or Ricky Rapper, who stars in the colourful Finnish summer tale RICKY RAPPER AND COOL WENDY. THE GREAT BIRD RACE is an amusing and slightly weird Danish children’s film in the best Scandinavian tradition. The ICE DRAGON is more serious in its subject matter, and very originally presented, as it depicts the 11-year-old Mik relying on his inner strength and imagination. It is an adaptation of the novel “Thin Ice” by Mikael Engström. Loss and solidarity amongst siblings are the topics of the sensitive and gripping Danish film THE SECRET, about three adolescents who have lost their mother. RAVENS, BUTTERCUPS AND MYRRH from Iceland tells the tale of young Lára, who wants to find out what it was that her deceased father loved so much about theatre. The film is a fast-paced children’s crime story full of wild chases, explosions and special effects.

The feature films of the children’s and youth film programme are supplemented by three short film programmes: The films “Shorts for Shorts” (6plus) and films for the age groups 12plus and 16plus. This year’s “short” film programme, too, demonstrates the great variety in Nordic, Scandinavian and Baltic filmmaking and its great commitment in the field of children’s and youth films.

Contact:
Silke Lehmann
Head of Press and Publicity
Nordic Film Days Lübeck
Schildstr. 12, 23539 Lübeck, Germany
T: +49 451 122 1454
Silke.lehmann@filmtage.luebeck.de