Utopia - Nobody´s Perfect in Perfect Country

Colour, 35mm
Norway, 2002, 82 min
Section: Forum of Independents

Synopsis

Who actually lives in Norway, at first sight, a perfect country? The answer lies between the lines of this surprising feature film, which tells eight stories inspired by eight political parties, written by six screenwriters and directed by nine directors. The plot unfolds during a magical 24 hours before the Norwegian elections at Lasse’s petrol station, a place which represents a microcosm of Norwegian society: in this thinly populated, vast land, each voter has to stop here to get petrol. Lasse earns a living selling petrol, but dreams of being a pilot. These particular 24 hours turn out to be truly extraordinary for him... An off-beat comedy about small things and big consequences.

About the director

Hans Petter Moland directed the feature films The Last Lieutenant (1993), Zero Kelvin (1995) and Aberdeen (2000). Ingebjørg Torgersen directed a number of shorts. Terje Rangnes has worked for Norwegian TV. Magnus Martens gave his debut with the short film Eddie Stargazer, then directed commercials and music videos. Arild Fröhlich has made documentaries, short films and TV series. Thomas Robsahm directed the feature films Rebels with a Cause (1992), The Mosquito (1996), SOS (1999) and The Greatest Thing (2001). Morten Tyldum has made a number of shorts and commercials. Martin Asphaug directed the feature films A Handful of Time (1989), Svampe (1990) and Lethal Lies (1992), as well as various TV series. Sara Johnsen won several prizes for her debut short Titan (2001).