Lübeck, Oct. 10th, 2017. The Nordic Film Days Lübeck (Nov. 1 – 5, 2017) are pleased to announce that the 59th festival will open with the German premiere of the Swedish film BEYOND DREAMS (Dröm vidare/Träum’ weiter) by Rojda Sekersöz. In her feature debut, director Sekersöz brings to the screen a strong female protagonist and her three friends, who want to leave their old lives behind and begin anew. The lead character “Mirja” is played brilliantly by young actor Evin Ahmad (who was seen onscreen in Lübeck when she was just 17 years old, in the prize-winning 2008 youth film ONE EYE RED / Ett öga rött/Das Kamel ohne Höcker).
BEYOND DREAMS will celebrate its German premiere in Lübeck on November 1, 2017, at 7:00 p.m. In addition to director Rojda Sekersöz and star Evin Ahmad, the NFL also expects to welcome producer Annika Hellström from Sweden to the premiere. The film was produced by Annika Hellström and Agneta Fagerström under the company banner of Sweden’s 2afilm AB. Pluto Film in Germany has secured world-wide distribution rights. BEYOND DREAMS is the first feature-length film by director Rojda Sekersöz, who previously directed several shorts as well as working as an actress. The film has so far won the audience prize at the 2017 Göteborg International Film Festival, the Swedish church prize, and the FIPRESCI international film critics’ prize at the Norwegian International Film Festival in Haugesund. BEYOND DREAMS is a powerfully acted coming of age film that focuses entirely on its refreshingly direct protagonists.
Linde Fröhlich, the artistic director of the Nordic Film Days Lübeck, expressed satisfaction with the choice, “BEYOND DREAMS is a touching and entertaining film set in the Swedish suburbs, which tackles highly topical problems. But the imagination, energy, and solidarity of its protagonists radiate a defiant optimism that holds out hope for the future. With its concise storytelling and rousing acting, it shows what a group of young women can really do”.
The film’s main character is Mirja – newly released from prison, she can hardly wait to finally get away with her girlfriends and leave the dreary life of Stockholm suburb Alby behind. They want to go to Montevideo, preferably now rather than later. They’ve bought their bikinis and plan a robbery to get the rest of the money they need for plane tickets. But a host of problems awaits Mirja at home. Her chain-smoking mother is unemployed and very ill, and there’s nothing in the fridge for her younger sister to eat. So Mirja needs a job quickly. But how can she organise normal working life without risking her friendships and their joint dream? In authentic detail and without clichés, director Sekersöz depicts the life and deep solidarity of her characters, who deal daily with the challenges of their tough circumstances.
The Nordic Film Days, presented by the Hanseatic city of Lübeck, will be held from November 1 - 5, 2017. There will be a press conference on October 11, 2017 to announce the selected films, TV series, and side-bar events, as well as festival guests. The complete programme will be available online beginning Oct. 21, 2017. Advance ticket sales begin on October 28, 2017 at 3:00 pm at the CineStar Filmpalast Stadthalle, Lübeck and online.
All details and information about the festival can be found online at www.filmtage.luebeck.de, and news is also available on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram/nordicfilmdays.
Press contact:
Silke Lehmann, Luisa Wellhausen, Svenja Knoke, Melissa Harms
Nordic Film Days Lübeck
Director of press and publicity
Schildstr.12, 23539 Lübeck
Tel: 0451-122-1455
presse@filmtage.luebeck.de
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