Let the River Flow crowned as Best Norwegian Film at the Amandas

by Jan Lumholdt

21/08/2023 - Movies revolving around the Sámi and World War II have emerged as the grand winners at the annual film awards held in Haugesund on Saturday night

Let the River Flow crowned as Best Norwegian Film at the Amandas

Director Ole Giæver, in traditional Sámi gákti dress, and Gard Emil Elvenes, who won Best Supporting Actor (© Grethe Nygaard)

“Thanks to all of you who opened your hearts and shared your stories. This film is a sort of summary of all of them. And thanks to all of you who have met with us as we have travelled around and shown it – you have shared your own experiences around this theme, some very strong things,” beamed director Ole Giæver during his speech as Let the River Flow [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Ole Giæver
film profile] was chosen as Best Norwegian Film at the 2023 Amanda Awards. An Audience Award winner at its Tromsø world premiere as well as at Göteborg, the story of the struggles of the Sámi against the Norwegian government upon the construction of a power plant in the Finnmark region in the late 1970s and early 1980s also earned Giæver Best Director and saw Gard Emil Elvenes win as Best Supporting Actor.

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The Audience Award, aka “The People’s Amanda”, went to Erik Skjoldbjærg’s Narvik: Hitler’s First Defeat, which also scooped the Best Sound Design and Best Visual Effects Awards. Another World War II story was the winner of the most accolades during the evening, as Gunnar Vikene’s War Sailor [+see also:
trailer
film profile] pocketed the gongs for Best Leading Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Cinematography and Best Costumes for, respectively, Pål Sverre Hagen, Ine Marie Willmann, Sturla Brandth Grøvlen and Stefanie Bieker. Alongside these grand epics, a little student film about two young sisters that grew into a first feature, Franciska Eliassen’s Sister, What Grows Where Land Is Sick? [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] (which won an award at Locarno in 2022), made its mark. The film won for Best Score and Best Leading Actress for Ruby Dagnall, beating out even Kristine Kujath Thorp, of Sick of Myself [+see also:
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trailer
interview: Kristine Kujath Thorp
interview: Kristoffer Borgli
film profile] (which did, however, get the Best Screenplay and Best Make-up Awards). From the stage, Dagnall praised the average Norwegian moviegoer for seeking out the unconventional, something Eliassen indeed relied upon when she formed her creation. “And a second thing,” Dagnall added; “this money thing. If it’s not a high budget that generates success, then what is it? We shot the film in a week, for almost nothing. I’m so proud of what it has amounted to.” Such sentiments may well have resonated with this year’s honorary winner, actress Bente Børsum, who in 1959 partook in a likewise small and unconventional film called The Chasers, directed by Erik Löchen (Joachim Trier’s grandfather, no less), today regarded as one of the greatest Norwegian films of all time.

True to tradition, the ceremony took place in Haugesund, coinciding with the opening of the 2023 Norwegian Film Festival.

Here is the full list of award winners:

Best Film
Let the River Flow [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Ole Giæver
film profile] - Ole Giæver (Norway/Finland)

Best Director
Ole Giæver - Let the River Flow

Best Actress in a Leading Role
Ruby Dagnall - Sister, What Grows Where Land Is Sick? [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] (Norway)

Best Actor in a Leading Role
Pål Sverre Hagen - War Sailor [+see also:
trailer
film profile] (Norway/Germany/Malta)

Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Ine Marie Wilmann - War Sailor

Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Gard Emil Elvenes - Let the River Flow

Best Screenplay
Kristoffer Borgli - Sick of Myself [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Kristine Kujath Thorp
interview: Kristoffer Borgli
film profile] (Norway/Sweden/Denmark/France)

Best Cinematography
Sturla Brandth Grøvlen - War Sailor

Best Editing
Thomas Grotmol - Thomas vs. Thomas (Norway)

Best Costumes
Stefanie Bieker - War Sailor

Best Sound Design
Espen Rønning, Bent Holm - Narvik: Hitler’s First Defeat (Norway)

Best Make-up
Izzi Galindo, Dimitra Drakopoulou - Sick of Myself

Best Original Score
Elina Waage Mikalsen, Evelina Petrova, Viktor Bomstad, Franciska Seifert Eliassen, Matias Frøystad - Sister, What Grows Where Land Is Sick?

Best Production Design
Lise Hillkirk Olimb - Possession (Norway)

Best Visual Effects
Arne Kaupang, Alexander Kadim, Anette Gjertsen, Lars Erik Hansen, Kai Kiønig Bortne, Morten Jacobsen - Narvik: Hitler's First Defeat

Best Foreign-language Film
Close [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Eden Dambrine
interview: Lukas Dhont
interview: Lukas Dhont
film profile] - Lukas Dhont (Belgium/Netherlands/France)