Armand / Elternabend

Armand’s mother and Jon’s parents are summoned to the school: there’s been an incident. Six-year old Jon was found crying and with his pants around his ankles. The principal seems alarmed. What exactly happened remains a blank space and projection surface in this claustrophobic chamber play. Suddenly the conversation turns to the supposedly freewheeling life of Elisabeth, an actress and single mother, while Jon’s father ogles her with desire. Was her husband really killed in an accident? And didn’t Elisabeth and Sarah used to be best friends?
The feature debut from Halfdan Ullmann Tøndel, grandson of Liv Ullmann and Ingmar Bergman, shows how past histories, sensitivities, and fantasies influence the search for the truth. The charged atmosphere is intensified by bizarre dance numbers and surreal dream sequences, leading to absurdity. The tone gets increasingly satirical and sharp. With a grim gaze, the film is an observation of how people let their masks fall and how a community can collapse like a house of cards.