90 Films Nominated for the Nordic Council Film Prize

Either Way

2011 • 84 min

During the summer, two workers for the Icelandic Road Administration paint lines on the country's roads, each grappling with personal uncertainties and feeling like they're at a turning point in their lives.

5.6

6.6

The Bothersome Man

2006 • 90 min

Comedy, Drama, Fantasy

Andreas, a forty-year-old man, wakes up in an unfamiliar city with no memory of his past. He's offered a job, a home, and even a wife. However, he soon realizes something isn't right. When Andreas tries to leave the city,…

7.0

7.2

A Little Trip to Heaven

2005 • 98 min • Budget $12M

Drama, Thriller

Insurance investigator Abraham Holt goes to a small town in rural Minnesota to investigate a strange insurance claim resulting from a terrible car crash. At the accident site, everything appears too staged. While interviewing Isold Mcbride and her suspicious husband,…

5.4

5.9

17+

Stream on

+11

White Night Wedding

2008 • 96 min

Jon, a middle-aged professor, is marrying one of his former students, who is nearly half his age. However, the wedding day is fraught with problems. His future mother-in-law strongly disapproves and insists on repayment of a loan before the ceremony.…

5.6

6.6

Stream on

I Belong

2012 • 118 min

A nurse faces trouble at work when she unconsciously switches to English when stressed. A translator struggles with her principles when asked to translate a book she disagrees with. An elderly woman and her daughter are embarrassed by a large…

6.2

6.9

Stream on

The 3 Rooms of Melancholia

2004 • 106 min

This film offers a stark look at the ongoing Chechen conflict, told through the experiences of students at a Russian military academy, residents of a devastated town, and children in a refugee camp.

7.3

7.2

Sauna

2008 • 83 min • Budget $1M

Horror

1595. Following brutal wars, a fragile peace exists between Protestant Sweden and Orthodox Russia. The story centers on two Finnish brothers, both spiritually wounded by defeat. One is a ruthless war hero, bordering on psychopathic; the other, a gentle scientist,…

6.2

Queen of Hearts

2019 • 127 min • Budget $19M

Drama

Anne is a highly skilled lawyer who dedicates her career to helping children and young adults. She seems to have a perfect life with her doctor husband, Peter, and their twin daughters. However, when her teenage stepson, Gustav, comes to…

6.9

7.0

Stream on

+11

Jar City

2006 • 93 min

Drama, Thriller, Crime

When a murder occurs, a jaded police detective and his team uncover a dark path of hidden secrets and local corruption within the close-knit community.

5.9

6.8

The Man Who Loved Yngve

2008 • 90 min • Budget $2M

Drama

In November 1989, as the world shifts, Jarle, a high school student in Stavanger, is navigating life with his punk band, a girlfriend, and a close friend. His world is about to be disrupted by the arrival of Yngve in…

6.5

7.1

Open Up to Me

2013 • 95 min

Maarit appears to be an ordinary woman in her early forties, but a subtle strangeness underlies her demeanor. She possesses an indefinable aura of sexual energy.

5.5

6.7

The Seagull's Laughter

2001 • 102 min

In post-war Iceland, around 1950, Freyja returns from America a widow with a new figure, seven suitcases of dresses, and a long list of grievances. She moves in with her aunt and uncle, hoping to find a new husband, but…

5.5

6.8

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A Hole in My Heart

2005 • 98 min

Drama

In a modest apartment, a young man witnesses his father and a friend making an amateur pornography film. The film explores themes of morality, reality television, and the complexities of friendship.

4.2

4.4

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Alma

2021 • 96 min

Following the brutal murder of her father, three-year-old Alma and her mother escaped their war-torn country and found refuge in Iceland. Twenty-five years later, Alma is in a psychiatric facility, serving time for the murder of her boyfriend, a crime…

5.5

5.1

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The Good Heart

2009 • 95 min

Jacques, the grumpy owner of a rough-around-the-edges New York bar frequented by regulars who drink and smoke constantly, is slowly killing himself with his habits. His life changes when he meets Lucas, a young homeless man who feels like he…

6.4

6.8

17+

Stream on

Lilya 4-ever

2002 • 109 min • Budget $2M • Box office $1M

Drama, Crime

In a struggling post-Soviet community, Lilya, a teenage girl, is abandoned when her mother moves to the United States with her boyfriend. Facing neglect and poverty, she meets Andrei, who offers her a job in Sweden, giving her hope for…

7.6

7.8

17+

Stream on

Any Day Now

2020 • 82 min

Four siblings – Bahman, Mahtab, Ramin, and Donya Mehdipour – are enjoying a peaceful summer in a Finnish town. Their sense of normalcy is disrupted when the Finnish Immigration Service denies their asylum application. As they navigate this setback, 13-year-old…

5.5

6.3

Stream on

Pusher II

2004 • 100 min

Crime, Drama

Tonny is released from prison, but he's determined to turn his life around – a difficult task.

7.2

7.3

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Tigers

2021 • 116 min

Drama

Sixteen-year-old Martin, a remarkably gifted football player, is signed by the prestigious club Inter Milan. This represents an incredible opportunity for him, but it comes with a significant cost.

5.6

6.8

Stream on

Okay

2002 • 93 min

Nete, a driven 37-year-old balancing work, family, and marriage, faces a crisis when her father falls seriously ill. She pressures doctors for a prognosis and learns he has only three weeks to live. Her father withdraws, but Nete insists he…

5.8

6.6

Upperdog

2009 • 95 min

Axel and Yanne, half-siblings as young children, are both adopted and brought to Norway. However, they are separated upon arrival – Axel to a life of privilege in Oslo's wealthier district, and Yanne to a more ordinary family on the…

6.4

6.5

Zozo

2005 • 105 min

During the Lebanese civil war, a young boy becomes separated from his family and is forced to flee to Sweden.

5.7

6.5

Sons

2006 • 103 min

Lars, a 25-year-old facing a bleak future, uncovers an older man's inappropriate behavior with the teenage boys in his neighborhood. Consumed by rage, Lars becomes determined to stop the abuse. However, his efforts quickly escalate and threaten the safety of…

6.7

7.1

The Home of Dark Butterflies

2008 • 108 min

Haunted by a difficult past and unsure about what lies ahead, fourteen-year-old Juhani is sent to The Island, a remote boys' home. After six years spent moving between foster homes, he's lost any sense of stability. At The Island, Juhani…

5.9

6.8

Silent Heart

2014 • 98 min

Drama

A family spanning three generations comes together for a weekend. Sisters Sanne and Heidi have agreed to their terminally ill mother's wish to end her life before her condition worsens. However, as the weekend unfolds, the sisters struggle more and…

6.5

7.1

Stream on

Sparrows

2015 • 99 min

Drama

Sixteen-year-old Ari lives with his mother in Reykjavík. When she takes a new job abroad, he's sent back to his hometown. There, he reconnects with an old friend who is now navigating a complicated romance, and discovers his father has…

6.4

6.8

The Sea

2002 • 109 min

Aging and wealthy Thordur gathers his estranged family in his isolated Icelandic fishing village to plan for the future of their family business. However, their reunion stirs up a torrent of long-hidden, painful family secrets.

6.1

6.8

17+

Blind

2014 • 96 min

Drama

After losing her sight, Ingrid finds solace in her home, a space for solitude with her husband and her thoughts. Soon, she begins to sense her husband's presence in their apartment while he's at work. Simultaneously, her lonely neighbor, disillusioned…

6.2

6.8

Stream on

Blind Spot

2018 • 98 min

Blind Spot explores the complexities of mental illness, focusing on the hidden difficulties often overlooked. The story follows a mother's gradual realization that her daughter is facing much deeper challenges than she had previously understood.

7.6

7.0

Open Hearts

2002 • 113 min

Drama, Romance

Cecilie and Joachim are on the verge of marriage when a sudden car accident leaves Joachim with a disability, drastically changing their future. The other driver, Marie, and her family also face consequences. Marie’s husband, Niels, who works at the…

7.0

7.5

17+

Stream on

The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Mäki

2016 • 95 min • Budget $1M

Drama, Romance

Summer 1962. Olli Mäki, a Finnish boxer, is on the verge of winning the world featherweight championship. He's traveled from the countryside to Helsinki, and everything is set for him to achieve fame and wealth. All he needs to do…

6.6

7.2

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Frozen Land

2005 • 133 min • Budget $2M

Drama

Fired from his teaching job, a man takes out his frustration on his difficult teenage son. The son responds by acquiring a CD player using counterfeit money. This act sets off a series of unfortunate events, as each person affected…

6.7

7.4

Of Horses and Men

2013 • 85 min

Drama, Romance, Comedy

This is a story of love and connection between people and horses in the countryside, where their lives become deeply intertwined. Love and loss are powerfully linked, leading to devastating outcomes. The community’s fate is reflected through the horses’ experiences.

6.9

6.8

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Undercurrent

2010 • 87 min

The crew of the fishing vessel Undercurrent RE 29 are weary of their monotonous week-long voyages. Their routine is shattered one dark night when a reliable crew member takes his own life. A young woman joins the next tour to…

7.1

6.2

Heartstone

2016 • 129 min • Box office $361K

Romance, Drama

In a secluded Icelandic fishing village, teenagers Thór and Kristján navigate a complicated summer. Thór pursues a girl, while Kristján grapples with unexpected feelings for his close friend. As summer fades and Iceland’s unforgiving landscape reasserts itself, they must confront…

7.1

7.4

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+12

Flee

2021 • 89 min • Budget $3M • Box office $712K

Documentary, Animation

Mostly told through animation to protect his privacy, Amin reflects on his childhood as an Afghan refugee while confronting a secret he has guarded for two decades.

7.7

7.9

13+

Stream on

Children

2006 • 90 min

Karitas, a single mother of four struggling financially, is locked in a custody battle with her ex-husband over her three daughters. Unaware of her twelve-year-old Gudmund's plight, she doesn't see the danger he's in – Gudmund is being severely bullied…

6.1

7.3

Sami Blood

2016 • 110 min

Drama

Elle Marja, a 14-year-old Sami girl who raises reindeer, experiences the racism of the 1930s firsthand, including invasive phrenological examinations at her boarding school. This exposure sparks a desire for a different life. To attain this new existence, she must…

7.3

7.2

Stream on

Free Jimmy

2006 • 86 min • Box office $2M

Animation, Comedy

A group of four marijuana enthusiasts, five vegans, three gangsters, four hunters, and one person have a multitude of reasons to liberate a drug-addicted elephant.

5.4

5.9

The Punk Syndrome

2012 • 85 min

Documentary, Music

"The Punk Syndrome" tells the story of Pertti Kurikan Nimipäivät, Finland's most remarkable punk rock band. Composed of Pertti, Kari, Toni, and Sami, all of whom have intellectual disabilities, the band plays with fierce energy and unwavering self-respect. The film…

7.1

7.8

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The Man Without a Past

2002 • 97 min • Box office $921

Comedy, Drama, Romance

A man arrives in Helsinki and is brutally attacked by thugs, surviving only to wake up with complete amnesia. He starts over with no past, forming a bond with a stray dog and developing feelings for a Salvation Army volunteer.

7.4

7.6

13+

The Amazing Truth About Queen Raquela

2008 • 80 min

Raquela, a transsexual woman from Cebu City, Philippines, longs for a better life in Paris. She chooses to work in internet pornography to achieve her dream, finding success and new connections. These include Valerie, another transsexual woman in Iceland, and…

4.0

5.8

17+

Stream on

Louder Than Bombs

2015 • 105 min • Budget $11M • Box office $1M

Drama

Three years after his wife, the celebrated photographer Isabelle Reed, died in a car accident, Gene continues to navigate daily life with his quiet teenage son, Conrad. A planned exhibition of Isabelle’s photographs brings Gene’s older son, Jonah, back to…

6.5

6.6

17+

Stream on

The Good Son

2011 • 88 min

A young man's world starts to unravel when his mother develops an unexpected affection for someone she meets at a party.

4.7

5.9

A White, White Day

2019 • 109 min

Drama

In a secluded Icelandic town, a police chief grieving the recent death of his wife starts to suspect a local man of having an affair with her. His growing obsession with uncovering the truth puts him and those he cares…

6.1

6.6

Stream on

+10

Mouth to Mouth

2005 • 94 min

After a difficult event at home, teenage Vera leaves her family and finds herself living with Morgan, a middle-aged drug addict who exploits her as a prostitute to fund his habit and mounting debts. As Vera's family unravels, her father,…

4.6

6.1

Stream on

Little Wing

2016 • 100 min

Little Wing is the story of Varpu, a 12-year-old girl rapidly approaching adulthood, and her mother, who resists growing up. Varpu lives with her mother and has never known her father. One night, frustrated with her mother and friends, Varpu…

6.7

6.8

Stream on

Darling

2007 • 94 min

Eva values appearances above all else – the perfect clothes, the right social circle, the most exclusive locations. Her carefully constructed world unravels when she loses her job and pushes away her friends by betraying her boyfriend. Suddenly adrift, she…

5.9

6.5

They Have Escaped

2014 • 101 min

Two young men, struggling with difficult lives, escape from a halfway house and travel to one of their homes.

6.0

6.2

Hunting Flies

2017 • 106 min

Fired on his first day as a teacher, an optimistic educator tries to get his job back by taking his students hostage. He forces them to settle a generations-old conflict between the two villages they represent.

7.8

6.3

Stream on

Kissed by Winter

2005 • 84 min

Grief-stricken after her son's death, Victoria relocates to a quiet town to work as a doctor at the local clinic. She tries to leave her past behind, but her efforts are disrupted when a young man is found dead in…

5.7

6.4

17+

Eat Sleep Die

2012 • 104 min

Drama

A young woman from Eastern Europe, working in Sweden, is forced to make a difficult decision after losing her job at the factory due to company cost-cutting measures.

5.9

6.4

The Art of Crying

2007 • 106 min

In early 1970s South Jutland, 11-year-old Allan faces a difficult life. His father struggles with mental instability and frequently threatens suicide, while his mother is emotionally withdrawn. Allan feels responsible for holding the family together. When a competing family endangers…

6.8

7.3

Thicker Than Water

2006 • 90 min

Pétur, an optometrist, is content with his life and his marriage to Ásta. They are expecting another child, alongside their ten-year-old son Örn. Then, unexpectedly, Pétur discovers he is not Örn's biological father.

5.6

6.3

Reprise

2006 • 107 min

Drama

Phillip and Erik have been close friends since they were children. They both love the novels of the reclusive author Sten Egil Dahl and both want to be writers themselves. But life takes them on different paths as they both…

7.1

7.3

17+

Stream on

The Here After

2015 • 102 min

Drama

After serving a prison sentence, John returns home to his father with hopes of a new beginning. But in his community, his past crime continues to cast a long shadow.

6.3

6.5

Stream on

Steam of Life

2010 • 80 min • Budget $580K

Documentary

In a traditional Finnish sauna, men engage in open and honest conversations. They speak candidly, sharing their thoughts and feelings directly.

7.1

7.8

Nymphomaniac: Vol. I

2013 • 118 min • Budget $2M • Box office $13M

Drama

Seligman discovers an injured woman unconscious in an alley and takes her home. She introduces herself as Joe and reveals she is a nymphomaniac. Joe recounts her life and sexual encounters with numerous men since adolescence, while Seligman describes his…

6.8

6.9

Stream on

The Deep

2012 • 95 min • Budget $3M

Drama

The Deep tells the incredible true story of a shipwreck off Iceland in 1984. It follows the sole survivor, a man whose extraordinary determination to live captivated the world. His survival became a scientific mystery and transformed him into a…

6.3

6.6

Stream on

Truth About Men

2010 • 91 min

When Mads and his girlfriend Marie move into a new house, Mads is suddenly filled with doubt. He questions if he's found the purpose of his life and whether he's fulfilled his dreams. He abruptly leaves Marie and embarks on…

6.0

6.6

You, the Living

2007 • 89 min • Box office $1M

Drama, Comedy, Music

In the Swedish city of Lethe, a series of brief, darkly humorous scenes unfold, depicting people from all walks of life. These vignettes are fleeting, lasting only seconds to a couple of minutes each. We see a young woman recalling…

7.1

7.4

Concrete Night

2013 • 97 min

Drama

In a cramped and oppressive Helsinki neighborhood, a 14-year-old boy learns harsh lessons about life from his older brother as the brother faces an impending prison sentence.

5.8

6.4

Stream on

Gentlemen

2014 • 141 min

Injured and frightened, a young writer takes refuge in a Stockholm apartment. There, he documents the story of the missing Morgan brothers, known for their lively personalities and charisma.

6.2

Metropia

2009 • 86 min • Budget $5M

Animation, Drama, Science Fiction

In the near future, with oil reserves dwindling, Europe relies on a network of underground tunnels for transportation. While traveling these tunnels, Roger begins hearing voices, most notably one persistent voice. His attempts to silence it lead him down a…

6.1

6.2

14+

The Guitar Mongoloid

2004 • 89 min

This film offers a glimpse into an unfamiliar side of everyday Sweden. It follows the lives of a 12-year-old boy writing simple punk songs, adult men engaging with firearms, and a woman struggling with intense emotional highs and lows, teetering…

5.4

5.9

Stream on

Parents

2016 • 86 min

A couple struggles with the emptiness left after their child leaves home. Seeking to recapture their lost spark, they revisit their old apartment, the place where they first fell in love. One morning, they wake up feeling decades younger, forcing…

4.1

5.4

Man's Job

2007 • 103 min

Drama

Juha, a 38-year-old father of three with a wife struggling with depression, considers himself a provider. His world is upended when he loses his job. Ashamed, he fabricates a story to conceal his unemployment from his family. He and his…

5.7

6.5

Submarino

2010 • 115 min

Drama

Nick and his younger brother cared for their infant sibling while their mother battled alcoholism. Tragedy strikes when the baby dies, and both brothers are consumed by guilt. Years later, Nick is released from prison after serving a sentence for…

7.1

7.5

Stream on

Antichrist

2009 • 104 min • Budget $11M • Box office $7M

Drama, Horror, Thriller

A couple struggling with grief and marital problems seeks solace in their secluded cabin, "Eden," deep in the woods. Hoping to heal and reconnect, they find their situation escalating as nature unleashes unforeseen challenges.

6.6

6.5

Stream on

Reconstructing Utøya

2018 • 91 min

This documentary follows the aftermath of a devastating tragedy. Nearly 500 teenagers are grappling with grief after 69 of their friends were killed in a shooting on Utøya island. The film explores the island's transformation from a place of safety…

7.1

7.2

Screaming Masterpiece

2005 • 84 min

This documentary explores the vibrant music scene in Iceland, featuring some of the country's most accomplished and recognizable musicians.

6.5

7.2

AFR

2007 • 83 min

This mockumentary follows Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen and his clandestine relationship with Emil, until the Prime Minister is assassinated. The film blends archival footage with actors and computer effects to depict the assassination.

5.7

5.2

Stream on

Aurora

2019 • 106 min

A woman who avoids serious relationships finds herself falling for a man who has a young daughter and is seeking a wife before he passes away. She agrees to help him find someone, but her own reluctance to commit is…

5.5

6.8

Stream on

A Royal Affair

2012 • 137 min • Budget $8M • Box office $14M

Drama, History, Romance

A young queen develops feelings for her royal physician, and together they ignite a revolution that fundamentally alters their country.

7.4

7.5

17+

Stream on

+10

North

2009 • 78 min

Comedy, Drama

After a nervous breakdown, ski athlete Jomar lives in isolation as a guard at a ski park. He learns he may have a child in northern Norway and embarks on a journey there by snowmobile, taking only five liters of…

6.5

6.7

Land of Mine

2015 • 100 min • Budget $5M

War, Drama, History

After Germany's surrender in May 1945, a group of young German prisoners of war are transferred to Denmark and then sent to the West Coast. There, they are tasked with clearing over two million German landmines from the beaches. Under…

7.8

17+

Stream on

Hawaii, Oslo

2004 • 125 min

Drama, Romance

In Oslo, on the hottest day of the year, the lives of several people intersect unexpectedly. The film follows Frode and Milla as they await the birth of their child, who has been diagnosed with a short life expectancy. We…

6.8

7.0

Mother of Mine

2005 • 111 min • Budget $3M • Box office $2M

Drama, War

1943. With his father dead in the war, nine-year-old Eero is sent to Sweden to live with foster parents, joining thousands of other Finnish children seeking safety. Eero struggles to adjust, especially to his foster mother Signe’s coldness. Signe, grieving…

6.6

7.6

Beyond

2010 • 99 min • Budget $3M • Box office $4M

Drama

On Christmas morning, Leena learns her mother is dying and returns to her childhood hometown for the first time as an adult. Having spent her life avoiding the pain of a difficult past, Leena must confront her mother and the…

6.4

7.0

Stream on

Virgin Mountain

2015 • 90 min

Drama

Fúsi lives for routine, finding solace in his predictable days. But when he's unexpectedly enrolled in a dance class, he's thrust into the vibrant chaos of the real world.

7.2

7.4

Manslaughter

2005 • 100 min

A college professor gives up his family and job to defend his mistress, a student activist accused of murdering a police officer.

5.7

6.7

Stream on

The Early Years: Erik Nietzsche Part 1

2007 • 91 min

Erik Nietzsche, an intelligent but shy young man, is determined to become a film director. In the late 1970s, he's accepted into the Danish National Film School and thrust into a world of demanding instructors, eccentric classmates, and unspoken norms.…

4.5

6.2

Stream on

Oslo, August 31st

2011 • 90 min • Box office $1M

Drama

A recovering drug addict gets a day off from rehab and returns to Oslo. He reunites with old friends, confronts his history, and grapples with an uncertain future. Throughout the day, a series of interactions reveal his desire for belonging…

7.5

7.6

Stream on

Force Majeure

2014 • 120 min • Box office $4M

Drama

A Swedish family on vacation in the French Alps faces moments of fear as an avalanche occurs.

6.9

7.2

17+

Stream on

+11

Play

2011 • 118 min

Drama, Crime

Between 2006 and 2008, a group of Swedish boys, aged 12 to 14, repeatedly robbed other children in central Gothenburg. They carried out approximately 40 robberies using a carefully planned scheme called the "little brother number," relying on elaborate role-playing…

6.8

7.1

Stream on

The Hunt

2012 • 116 min • Budget $3M • Box office $18M

Drama

A solitary teacher battles for custody of his son. His life begins to improve with the arrival of love and encouraging news from his son, but this newfound happiness is threatened when a simple untruthderails everything.

8.1

8.3

17+

Stream on

+13

Falkenberg Farewell

2006 • 91 min

Drama

That final summer in Falkenberg finds five boys, now young men about to leave for the wider world. At least, that's the plan for most of them.

6.1

6.3

Woman at War

2018 • 101 min

Drama, Thriller, Comedy

Halla launches a determined campaign against the local aluminum industry, willing to risk everything to safeguard the unspoiled Icelandic Highlands she cherishes. Her resolve is tested when an orphan unexpectedly enters her life.

7.2

7.4

Stream on

Out of Nature

2014 • 80 min • Budget $950K

Comedy, Drama

*Out of Nature* follows a father in his thirties living in a small Norwegian town. He feels disconnected from his life and yearns for escape – from his job, his family, into the wilderness. During a solitary hiking trip, he's…

6.4

6.9

The Orheim Company

2012 • 104 min

This is a powerful story of a young man navigating a childhood shaped by his father's alcoholism. It's also a vivid coming-of-age narrative exploring the intense emotions of adolescence: first love, heartbreak, and the search for freedom and forgiveness.

6.5

7.0

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