Norsk filminstitutt

Norwegian director Joachim Trier’s supernatural thriller Thelma, which has already received three national Amandas and another 11 festival prizes, is among the five nominees for the 15th Nordic Council Film Prize, which will be announced on 30 October in Oslo.

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It is the fourth time Trier is among the contenders for the DKK 350,000 prize, which is shared equally by the screenwriter, the director and the producer. In 2016 he won it, with his usual writer-collaborator Eskil Vogt, for his English-language Louder than Bombs, which was also  Norway’s first contender for the Palme d’Or in Cannes for 36 years

 

Shy Student

Scripted by Trier and Vogt, Thelma catches up with a shy student, who has just left her religious small town family to study at the university in Oslo. Shortly after semester start she experiences a violent, unexpected seizure at the library, and soon after, she finds herself intensely drawn towards Anja, a beautiful student who reciprocates her powerful attraction.

 

Extreme seizures

Thelma becomes increasingly overwhelmed by her intense feelings for Anja, which she doesn’t dare acknowledge, even to herself, while at the same time experiencing  more extreme seizures. As it becomes clear that they are a symptom of inexplicable, often dangerous, supernatural abilities, Thelma is confronted with tragic secrets of her past, and the terrifying implications of her powers. 

Other nominees

Starring Eili Harboe (with Kaya Wilkins, Ellen Dorrit Petersen and Henrik Rafaelsen), Thelma was produced by Thomas Robsahm for Motlys. - The other nominees for the prize are Winter Brothers (Vinterbrødre). Dir: Hlynur Pálmason (Denmark), Euthanizer (Armomurhaaja). Dir:  Teemu Nikki (Finland), Woman at War (Kona fer í stríð). Dir: Benedikt Erlingsson (Iceland), Ravens (Korparna). Dir: Jens Assur (Sweden.