Home for Christmas

Director Bent Hamer Present

Mirth and misfortune go hand-in-hand in veteran director Bent Hamer’s (Factotum, Kitchen Stories, O’Horton) sixth feature.

Winner of Best Screenplay at the San Sebastian International Film Festival, Home For Christmas is based on Norwegian author Levi Henriksen’s collection of interconnected short stories, Only Soft Presents Under the Tree. Set in the snowy small town of Skogli at Christmas time, the fir trees and twinkling lights have brought with them the usual anxiety, expectancy, hope, and melancholia.

Following a diverse group of characters, Hamer crafts affecting vignettes before skillfully tying the stories together with humor and sensitivity. The desire to connect, or reconnect with friends, family, or simply anyone who will listen is explored through these various entanglements, both serious and absurd. Flush with life, insight, and hope, and beautifully shot under the glow of the Northern Lights, this is a delightful addition to the repertoire of one of Norway’s best-loved and internationally known filmmakers. (Hamer’s 2005 Factotum, from a Charles Bukowski novella, was shot in St. Paul, with Matt Dillon and Marisa Tomei in starring roles).

Print Source: Norwegian Film Institute, knut.skinnarmo@nfi.no