Film tips week 37
Kosmorama recommends quality films for the week. You can catch these titles either on the big screen or on various streaming services!
Totto-Chan: The Little Girl at the Window
Where: Trondheim Kino
Totto-chan is a lively seven-year-old girl, always excited about the world around her. When this “excitement” leads to her being expelled from the local public school, she starts at a new kind of school where children are free to explore whatever interests them. Here, Totto-chan truly begins to blossom—even as Japan sinks deeper into World War II.
© Storytelling Media
Strawberries and Chocolate
Where: Cinemateket Trondheim
David is a student who still supports Castro’s revolution, while Diego is gay and a highly cultured artist. After a first, random and contrasting encounter, David feels both fascinated and repelled. His revolution-loyal roommate Miguel encourages him to maintain contact with this potentially “counter-revolutionary” figure. Though somewhat reluctant at first, David is gradually drawn into Diego’s cultural lifestyle.
Tomás Gutiérrez Alea is one of Cuba’s most renowned filmmakers and was a devoted supporter of the revolution. At the same time, he did not shy away from criticizing the shortcomings of Castro’s regime. A recurring theme in his films is sympathy for those who feel sidelined and marginalized. Alea, who passed away in 1996, was increasingly afflicted by cancer during the filming, and toward the end he received assistance from Juan Carlos Tabío to complete the film.
Beneath the film’s lively and often humorous surface, a sense of fear and anxiety for Cuba’s future—and for Havana, where the story takes place—also shines through. Strawberry and Chocolate marked the major international breakthrough for Cuban cinema. It won awards worldwide, including at the Berlin, Sundance, and Haugesund film festivals, and was the first Cuban film ever nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.
A powerful and moving story about an unusual friendship, about understanding and tolerance between people shaped by prejudice and old dogmas.
© Miramax Films
Portrait of a lady on fire
Where: streaming
The artist Marianne arrives on a remote island in Brittany at the end of the 18th century. She has been commissioned to paint a portrait of the bride-to-be, Héloïse. Several have attempted to paint Héloïse before, but as her only possible protest against an arranged marriage, she refuses to pose. Marianne pretends to be a maid, accompanying Héloïse on daily walks where she can quietly observe her. With memory as her only tool, the portrait is completed—but does it truly capture who Héloïse is?
Portrait of a Lady on Fire (Portrett av en kvinne i flammer) is an exceptionally beautiful film about memory, friendship, love, and strong women. The film is also a tribute to the often-forgotten female artists throughout history. An instant classic!
Céline Sciamma (b. 1978) is one of France’s most exciting directors. She has made a handful of iconic films, where sexuality, feminism, and female characters are always at the center.
Portrait of a Lady on Fire (Portrett av en kvinne i flammer) was one of the major favorites at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, winning both the award for Best Screenplay and the Queer Palm.
© Arthaus
