The Mountain

Colour, 35 mm
Norway, 2011, 73 min
Section: Another View

Synopsis

Nora and Solveig have known each other long enough  to sense what the other is feeling and pick up on each other’s moods. Now they are setting out on a trip to the mountains whose objective, as it gradually becomes clear, is not simply a walk though the picturesque landscape. Despite the conflicts both women experience during the journey, it is obviously not a question of mere stubbornness on either’s part, but a fundamental event which will have a substantial influence on their future. The cold and desolate mountain environment, devoid of all distractions, is an ideal place for them to clarify how to go on. The subtle drama successfully captures the complexity of their situation and suggests several possible ways to resolve it, not all of them positive. Will they be able to save their relationship? And, in the face of all the mutual recriminations, is it even worth it? The film benefits from the leads’ performances and the powerful landscape.

About the director

Ole Giæver (b. 1977, Tromsø, Norway) lives and works in Oslo. He first studied at the Nordland Art and Film School (1999-2001), then he graduated from Stockholm’s Konstfack Art Academy in 2005. He has created several award winning shorts, including Tommy (2007), which was nominated for a European Film Award. The Mountain, his feature film debut, screened in the Panorama section at this year’s Berlinale.