New Nordic Virtual Cinema at Scandinavia House continues from February 19 through 26 with Phoenix /Føniks (Norway, 2018; dir. Camilla Strøm Henriksen).
Phoenix /Føniks follows 13-year-old Jill, who has been the primary caretaker for her younger brother and her troubled mother, a once-celebrated artist. When her estranged father announces a surprise visit for her 14th birthday, the children receive a spark of much-needed hope — but as their mother's mental condition takes a darker turn, and their father's interests prove more selfish, Jill's dreams of stability become tenuous. In director Camilla Strøm Henriksen's feature film debut, Phoenix blends elements of fantasy and fairy tale with family melodrama, and has been celebrated as “an intelligent family drama refrigerated with horror-movie chills” (The Guardian) that “seamlessly moves the story from social drama, through fantasy elements, to grandiose lifestyles” (Cineurope). (86 minutes. In Norwegian with English subtitles.)
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