Mother's Elling (Mors Elling)

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Mother's Elling
Original title	Mors Elling
Type	Features
Genre	Drama
Director	Eva Isaksen
Short summary	Elling has lived with his mother his entire life. He passes time in their apartment spying on his neighbours through vinoculars, and feels no real need to associate with people in a more natural sense. His enthusiasm is therefore not exactly overwhelming when mother suddenly decides they are going on a package tour to Benidorm. But he agrees to join her -a woman mother's "needs a steady man at her side." What Elling refuses to see is that mother is not only old, she is also ill. Quite ill. On their last trip together she tries to help Elling realize that life is larger than the two-ness he knows from their apartment.
Summary	"Mother's Elling" is based on Ingvar Ambjørnsen's book "Dance of Birds". This book is actually an earlier book than "Brødre i blodet" which the first Elling film was based on. Elling has lived with his mother all his life. Mom is the practical one, while Elling ponders the more theoretical aspects of life. He spends his time in their apartment reading books and looking at the neighbours through the living room window. Elling doesn’t seem to need to be around others like most people. That’s why Elling is less than enthusiastic when his mother suddenly decides to take her son on a beach vacation to Spain. Reluctantly, Elling agrees – after all, a lady at Mom’s age needs a good man by her side. But what Elling refuses to realize is that Mom is not only old, but also sick. Very sick. On her last vacation she tries to get Elling to see that life is bigger than their living room. The script is written by the experienced scriptwriter, Axel Hellstenius, who also wrote the script to the first film. The first film, “Elling” is the most popular film in Norway in 25 years, achieving both impressive box offices sales as well as an Academy Award nomination for Best Foreign Film in 2002. “Mom’s Elling” is based on Ingvar Ambjørnsens book, “Fugledansen” and is reminiscent of the first film’s warmth and compassion, offering an even deeper insight into the universal nature of the Elling character.
Cast	Per Christian Ellefsen (Elling), Grete Nordraa (Mom), Helge Reiss (Bugge-Høvik), Christin Borge (Mag), Per Schanning (Georg), Lena Meieran (Grete Iversen)
Screenplay	Axel Hellstenius
Based on	The novel "Dance of Birds" by Ingvar Ambjørnsen
D.O.P	Rolv Håan
Composer	Lars Lillo-Stenberg
Scenography	Martin Gant
Producer	Dag Alveberg
Line producer	Jeanette Sundby
Production company	Maipo Film- & TV Produksjon P.O.Box 275 N-1319 Bekkestua Tel: +47 67 52 51 90 Fax: +47 67 52 52 91 Mail: maipo@maipo.no www.maipo.no
Country of origin	Norway
Release date (national)	2003-10-10
Technical information
Format	35mm
Screen ratio	1:1,85
Colour	Colour
Length in min's	79
Length in meters	2146
International sales	Trust Film Sales e-mail: trust@trust-film.dk
Distributor (Norway only)	Universal Picture Nordic/UIP
Festival participation	2004 Film Spring Vilnius 2004 Festival do Rio 2004 Warsaw International Film Festival 2004 Black Night Film Festival, Tallinn
URL	http://www.maipo.no

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Director biography:
Eva Isaksen, known from "Death at Oslo Central" (Døden på Oslo S), "Homo Falcus (Det perfekte mord)", "Stork Starring Mad" (Over stork og stein) and "Cellofan" (Cellofan - med døden til følge) is the director of "Mother's Elling". Lately Isaksen has worked for NRK Drama with "Ninni" and "Sejer"-series.