Norway rising New wave of risk-taking film-makers eclipse Scandinavian rivals

When it comes to film-making, Norway has long been left looking on while its Nordic neighbours Sweden and Denmark release hit after hit by luminaries such as Lars von Trier, Thomas Vinterberg and Ruben Östlund.

- Miranda Bryant

But after years in the shadows, Norway has finally found its place in the international spotlight with several distinctive relationship-centred and critically acclaimed films and television shows in what many call a "golden age".

The past few months alone have seen the release of Dreams, the last of Dag Johan Haugerud's Oslo Stories Trilogy: Dreams, Love, Sex, which won the biggest prize at this year's Berlin film festival; Joachim Trier's Sentimental Value, which was awarded the grand prix at Cannes and comes off the back of his 2021 hit, the Oscar-nominated The Worst Person in the World; Armand, Halfdan Ullmann Tøndel's acclaimed directorial debut feature; and Lilja Ingolfsdottir's Loveable.

Meanwhile, the TV series Pernille has found dedicated audiences around the world since the comedy-drama about the life of a single-parent family was recommissioned by Netflix.

"We are in a golden age of Norwegian cinema," said Ullmann Tøndel, who is working on the script for his next film. "Especially in terms of recognition from the biggest festivals and how Norwegian cinema films are being perceived outside of Norway."