Jazzfest: Exit + Året gjennom Børfjord

Exit by Pål Løkkeberg is Norwegian film modernism at its best, featuring a brilliant performance by Vibeke Løkkeberg in the lead role. It is screened together with the short film Året gjennom Børfjord, and both films share a common musical thread: the music is composed by Jan Garbarek, who opens this year’s Jazzfest.

Året gjennom Børfjord is an award-winning short documentary from 1991, directed and shot by Morten Skallerud. Filmed on 65mm film, it shows an entire year in Børfjord in just 12 minutes. The camera was moved slightly day by day using a special animation technique combining moving camera work with time-lapse shooting, creating a seamless journey through the changing seasons of the fjord. The film is presented on 35mm analog cinema film.

In Exit, we meet Vibeke Løkkeberg as Maria. She is married to businessman Carl, who is deeply focused on his work. Maria works as a swimming instructor in her spare time but feels dissatisfied and longs for more excitement in life. She suspects she may be pregnant and visits a doctor, who confirms that she is expecting a child. She tells her husband, who eagerly prepares to celebrate, but Maria has already decided not to keep the pregnancy. She meets Danish worker Lou and begins a relationship with him. The two eventually flee and rob a post office with Lou’s friend Jens.

Pål Løkkeberg played a central role in Norwegian film modernism. Exit carries clear modernist traits, inspired by the French New Wave and especially the film style of Jean-Luc Godard. Cross-cutting and jump cuts give the film its experimental expression, characteristic of modernist cinema.

The movie is shown as a collaboration between Cinemateket, Jazzfest Kosmorama International Film Festival.