Joachim Trier’s follow-up to his arthouse hit The Worst Person in the World, this piercing and ecstatically moving reflection on family and memory stars Renate Reinsve, Stellan Skarsgård, and Elle Fanning.

An exuberant, garrulous, self-aware picture about an ageing and egomaniac film director and his two grownup daughters. It’s a movie of daddy issues and cinematic adventures in the manner of Fellini and Bergman.

On its surface, the film may touch on the familiar theme of how artists draw from their own lives, but Renate Reinsve and Stellan Skarsgard bring incredible tenderness to a story that is ultimately about what children and parents never say to  one another — and whether those lifelong silences can ever be broken. Collaborating again with frequent co-writer Eskil Vogt (now also a successful director), Trier fashions a nuanced look at both a troubled family and a dysfunctional film industry.

“…those seeking a smart, thoughtful tearjerker should be pleased with this sentimental but farfrom-mawkish film.” — Tom Grierson, Screen Daily

 

Explore the full programme at nziff.co.nz.