The Norwegian political satire film No Comment received the award for Best Screenplay at the 29th Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival on Friday evening. No Comment was the only Nordic film competing in the main competition.
Its participation in the main competition in Tallinn marked the international premiere of No Comment, which had sold-out screenings during the festival. The film premiered in Norwegian cinemas on August 22, just before the parliamentary election, and has been seen by more than 90.000 in Norway.
Screenwriter Ståle Stein Berg was present in Tallinn to accept the screenplay award. The film is directed by Petter Næss and produced by Anne Bergseng, Synnøve Hørsdal, and Cornelia Boysen for Maipo Film. International Sales is handled by TrustNordisk. No Comment has received euro 940.000 in production grants from the Norwegian Film Institute.
“No Comment is loosely based on the case and imagines what’s going on behind the closed doors of political power players. Laila Goody and Pia Tjelta star in the movie, whose ensemble cast also includes Anders Baasmo and Torbjorn Aamodt”, says screenwriter Stein Ståle Berg to The Hollywood Reporter’s Georg Szalai.
In its review of No Comment on the festival’s website, they write: “Some Norwegian critics have said that the film should have been even harsher. In Norway, everyone knows which political scandal the plot is based on. In other parts of the world, however, the film might be much more understandable, just as it is. Viewers will surely be able to draw parallels with scandals involving politicians in their own country. For Estonian viewers, there is plenty to recognize.”
It is general election. The current government is hoping for renewed trust from the voters. So far it looks promising. But then the bubble bursts. A slightly absurd satire about a political reality confusingly very similar to our own. About how far politicians are willing to go to save their own skins.
The Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (November 7–23) was held for the 29th time this year. In addition to No Comment in competition, the festival featured the world premiere of Mari Storstein’s debut feature film My First Love in the First Feature Competition. A total of 11 Norwegian films were screened at the festival.
Manager International Relations, Feature Films
