Lotta Leaves Home (1993)
Section: Days of Swedish Cinema
Directed by: Johanna Hald
Sweden, 1993, 83 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 5
Score:
Five-year-old Lotta is stubborn as a goat, her father says. This morning she refuses to put on that nasty, itchy sweater. Mummy is stupid and Lotta is furious. Quietly she cuts a big hole in her sweater. Then she moves in with Aunt Berg. Of course Lotta is right when she claims: ''I know a lot of things. Well, actually I know everything.'' She will never again have to put on that nasty sweater. An independent sequel to A Clever Little Girl Like Lotta, based on a novel by Astrid Lindgren.
Sami Blood (2016)
Section: International Competition of European First Films
Directed by: Amanda Kernell
Sweden, Denmark, Norway, 2016, 110 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 3
Score:
The Scandinavian variant of a shameful practice employed by self-proclaimed “civilized" nations around the world in the 19th and 20th centuries: the systematic removal of Indigenous children from their parents, homes, and traditional lifestyles and forced integration into an educational system that taught them that their customs and lifestyles were inferior at best. Elle Marja is a teenage Sámi girl in the 1930s who is sent to a boarding school intended on raising its Indigenous charges to a level "acceptable" to the rest of Swedish society. Curious and excited, Elle Marja at first excels in her new surroundings, mastering the Swedish language and her other lessons while her younger sister, Njenna, struggles. But this very success, coupled with Elle Marja's intense desire to be accepted by her teachers, her internalization of the school's vile lessons about race and class, and her burgeoning sexuality, soon drives a wedge between her and her fellow students, forcing her to take an action she may not have the opportunity to regret.
Swallows and Amazons (2016)
Section: Panorama
Directed by: Philippa Lowthorpe
U.K., 2016, 97 min
Projection place: Mala scena
Score:
Set over an idyllic English summer holiday, the four Walker children and their sailing rivals, the Blacketts, run amok in their boats against the stunning backdrop of the Lake District. The Walkers sail the agile Swallow and the Blacketts commandeer The Amazon, making camp on a nearby island. Their world is one of imagination – filled with pirates and canons, where boats are captured and the enemy has to walk the plank. But when family friend, Uncle Jim is revealed to be a spy, our motley crew are forced to put down their imaginary swords and band together to protect him from his Soviet enemies.
Cloudboy (2017)
Section: International Competition of Feature Films for Children
Directed by: Meikeminne Clinckspoor
Belgium, Sweden, Norway, Netherlands, 2017, 78 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 6
Score:
Twelve-year-old city boy Niilas has been living with his father for as long as he can remember and barely knows his Swedish mother. This summer, Niilas has to travel to Lapland – much against his will – where his mother and her new family live amongst the Sami, an indigenous reindeer-herding people. Despite a warm welcome, Niilas retreats inward. The only one who can get through to him is his half-sister Sunnà. The reindeer migration is fully underway and Niilas has to lend a helping hand. When a reindeer goes missing, Niilas joins in the search, and an impressive moose keeps crossing his path at the most unexpected moments. Gradually he discovers his roots, which prove to be stronger than he ever could have imagined. Against all odds, Niilas experiences the most adventurous summer of his life.
Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016)
Section: Panorama
Directed by: Taika Waititi
New Zealand, 2016, 101 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 2
Score:
Raised on hip-hop and foster care, defiant city kid Ricky gets a fresh start in the New Zealand countryside. He quickly finds himself at home with his new foster family: the loving Aunt Bella, the cantankerous Uncle Hec, and dog Tupac. When a tragedy strikes that threatens to ship Ricky to another home, both he and Hec go on the run in the bush. As a national manhunt ensues, the newly branded outlaws must face their options: go out in a blaze of glory or overcome their differences and survive as a family.
Hugo and Josefin (1967)
Section: Days of Swedish Cinema
Directed by: Kjell Grede
Sweden, 1967, 82 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 4
Score:
A drama based on the books by the acclaimed children's author Maria Gripe follows Hugo and Josephine, two children from different backgrounds who strike up an unlikely friendship with a visiting gardener after meeting in the woods near Josephine's home.
Clara and the Secret of the Bears (2012)
Section: Welcome to Switzerland
Directed by: Tobias Ineichen
Switzerland, 2012, 93 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 6
Score:
Clara (13) lives with her mother and her stepfather on a remote farm in the Swiss Alps. Clara’s sensitivity and her strong connection with nature enable her to see and feel things others cannot perceive. Only in Thomas (12), does Clara find a confidant. Through the discovery of an ancient girl’s shoe, Clara gets in touch with Susanna, a girl who lived on the farm two centuries ago. Susanna is deeply troubled: her father has captured a bear cub and – according to an age-old legend – a curse falls upon those who do wrong against bears. Past and present are more closely linked than one might think. Clara senses that there is a curse on the old farm. And she knows that she is the only one who can lift it.
Iris (2011)
Section: Days of Swedish Cinema
Directed by: Ulrika Bengts
Finland, Sweden, 2011, 90 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 4
Score:
The year is 1890. Iris is 8 years old and lives in Stockholm with her mother, who is an artist. Iris is precocious and experienced in the ways of the world. She feels at home among her mother´s modern artist friends. Now she is waiting for the big adventure; Ester´s exhibition in Paris. On the day of the departure, Iris is shocked to find out that she will not be going to Paris. When the proposed child minders cannot look after her as planned, she is sent by mail boat to Åland; a place she knows nothing about, but where she will learn to know her roots and become the child she has not been.
Bright Nights (2017)
Section: Panorama
Directed by: Thomas Arslan
Germany, Norway, 2017, 86 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 2
Score:
Austrian civil engineer Michael lives with his girlfriend in Berlin. For years, he has barely had any contact with his 14-year-old son Luis. When Michael’s father dies, the two travel together to the funeral held in the remote north of Norway. Barely knowing each other, the two are suddenly caught in an intimate situation. After the funeral, Michael suggests spending a few days together exploring the region, which turns out to be more difficult than expected. Never having spent any time with each other on a daily basis, they have trouble handling their relationship. When they are in the car together it feels like the calm before a storm.
Swallows and Amazons (2016)
Section: Panorama
Directed by: Philippa Lowthorpe
U.K., 2016, 97 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 1
Score:
Set over an idyllic English summer holiday, the four Walker children and their sailing rivals, the Blacketts, run amok in their boats against the stunning backdrop of the Lake District. The Walkers sail the agile Swallow and the Blacketts commandeer The Amazon, making camp on a nearby island. Their world is one of imagination – filled with pirates and canons, where boats are captured and the enemy has to walk the plank. But when family friend, Uncle Jim is revealed to be a spy, our motley crew are forced to put down their imaginary swords and band together to protect him from his Soviet enemies.
Mountain Miracle - An Unexpected Friendship (2017)
Section: International Competition of Feature Films for Children
Directed by: Tobias Wiemann
Germany, Italy, 2017, 97 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 1
Score:
Amelie (13) thinks of herself as a tough big-city brat and she probably is indeed the most stubborn girl in all of Berlin. Amelie doesn’t let anyone tell her what to do, least of all her parents, who ship her off to a special clinic in the mountains after another asthma attack. Exactly what Amelie definitely doesn’t want. But instead of getting help at the clinic, she runs off and flees to a place where certainly no one would expect to find her: the top of a mountain. When the clinic and her parents realize she ran away, a big search for her is underway. Focused on trying to find a hiding place in the mountains, Amelie meets a quirky boy named Bart. When Bart saves her life, Amelie realizes that Bart is actually a lot cooler than she first thought. Learning of Amelie’s illness, Bart tells her about an old tradition happening that time of year: the Alp Mountain Fires. These Alp Mountain Fires are miracles, which allegedly help cure the sick: humans and animals. Now on a mission to get to the fires in time, the kids take off on an adventurous journey of hope and true friendship.
Heidi (2015)
Section: Welcome to Switzerland
Directed by: Alain Gsponer
Switzerland, Germany, 2015, 105 min
Projection place: Aula
Score:
Heidi is an orphaned girl who spends the happiest days of childhood together with her friend Peter while watching a herd of goats, playing together and enjoying the freedom of the Swiss Alps, where she lives in a simple cabin with her grandfather. This all ends when Heidi is taken by her Aunt Dee to Frankfurt, Germany, where she's to provide company for a sick girl named Klara, who's from a wealthy family. The girls quickly become friends, but Heidi's longing for her grandfather, Peter and the mountains is too great...
The Sun At Midnight (2016)
Section: Panorama
Directed by: Kirsten Carthew
Canada, 2016, 93 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 6
Score:
After the death of her mother, Lia’s father makes the difficult decision to send her north to live with the grandmother she never knew. At 16, all Lia knows – and loves – is the southern urban jungle. With her pink hair, faux fur coat and a bit of attitude, Lia is immediately a fish out of water in her grandmother’s small sub-Arctic community. Determined to return south, Lia steals a canoe and ends up stranded and alone on the beautiful (but dangerous) land. She meets Alfred, a hunter in search of a missing caribou herd, who reluctantly takes Lia under his wing. The two embark on a journey through the rugged and stunning Northwest Territories landscape that will change their lives forever.
Mountain Miracle - An Unexpected Friendship (2017)
Section: International Competition of Feature Films for Children
Directed by: Tobias Wiemann
Germany, Italy, 2017, 97 min
Projection place: Aula
Score:
Amelie (13) thinks of herself as a tough big-city brat and she probably is indeed the most stubborn girl in all of Berlin. Amelie doesn’t let anyone tell her what to do, least of all her parents, who ship her off to a special clinic in the mountains after another asthma attack. Exactly what Amelie definitely doesn’t want. But instead of getting help at the clinic, she runs off and flees to a place where certainly no one would expect to find her: the top of a mountain. When the clinic and her parents realize she ran away, a big search for her is underway. Focused on trying to find a hiding place in the mountains, Amelie meets a quirky boy named Bart. When Bart saves her life, Amelie realizes that Bart is actually a lot cooler than she first thought. Learning of Amelie’s illness, Bart tells her about an old tradition happening that time of year: the Alp Mountain Fires. These Alp Mountain Fires are miracles, which allegedly help cure the sick: humans and animals. Now on a mission to get to the fires in time, the kids take off on an adventurous journey of hope and true friendship.
Heidi (2015)
Section: Welcome to Switzerland
Directed by: Alain Gsponer
Switzerland, Germany, 2015, 105 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 2
Score:
Heidi is an orphaned girl who spends the happiest days of childhood together with her friend Peter while watching a herd of goats, playing together and enjoying the freedom of the Swiss Alps, where she lives in a simple cabin with her grandfather. This all ends when Heidi is taken by her Aunt Dee to Frankfurt, Germany, where she's to provide company for a sick girl named Klara, who's from a wealthy family. The girls quickly become friends, but Heidi's longing for her grandfather, Peter and the mountains is too great...
Tongue Cutters (2017)
Section: Documentary Films
Directed by: Solveig Melkeraaen
Norway, 2017, 69 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 6
Score:
Cod tongue is a delicacy in Norway, and the job of cutting the cod’s tongue is traditionally reserved for children. In this charming and whimsical coming-of-age story, 9-year-old Ylva dreams of following in her family’s footsteps and earning money by working a season in the fisheries of northern Norway. Leaving her big city Oslo life behind, she arrives in a small fishing village and meets 10-year-old Tobias, a highly skilled and ambitious tongue cutter who takes her under his wing and shows her the art. With slickers on and knives sharpened the joyful duo dive into their work. Over time a beautiful friendship is formed while knee-deep in fish heads.
The Eagle Huntress (2016)
Section: Panorama
Directed by: Otto Bell
U.S.A., Mongolia, U.K., 2016, 87 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 2
Score:
This film follows the story of Aisholpan, a 13-year-old nomad girl. Aisholpan is growing up in a patriarchal community in the Altai Mountains of Mongolia. She has a passion for hunting with golden eagles, an activity that for thousands of years has been entirely dominated by men. Her fascination causes consternation when she sets out to become the first female eagle hunter. Despite criticism from village elders, her father lends her his support. Her time spent on horseback learning the finer points of hunting with her father reveal the closeness of their relationship. Then comes the annual eagle-hunting contest. Aisholpan is the youngest participant, and also the only girl. Can she hold her own?
Cloudboy (2017)
Section: International Competition of Feature Films for Children
Directed by: Meikeminne Clinckspoor
Belgium, Sweden, Norway, Netherlands, 2017, 78 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 1
Score:
Twelve-year-old city boy Niilas has been living with his father for as long as he can remember and barely knows his Swedish mother. This summer, Niilas has to travel to Lapland – much against his will – where his mother and her new family live amongst the Sami, an indigenous reindeer-herding people. Despite a warm welcome, Niilas retreats inward. The only one who can get through to him is his half-sister Sunnà. The reindeer migration is fully underway and Niilas has to lend a helping hand. When a reindeer goes missing, Niilas joins in the search, and an impressive moose keeps crossing his path at the most unexpected moments. Gradually he discovers his roots, which prove to be stronger than he ever could have imagined. Against all odds, Niilas experiences the most adventurous summer of his life.
The Sun At Midnight (2016)
Section: Panorama
Directed by: Kirsten Carthew
Canada, 2016, 93 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 5
Score:
After the death of her mother, Lia’s father makes the difficult decision to send her north to live with the grandmother she never knew. At 16, all Lia knows – and loves – is the southern urban jungle. With her pink hair, faux fur coat and a bit of attitude, Lia is immediately a fish out of water in her grandmother’s small sub-Arctic community. Determined to return south, Lia steals a canoe and ends up stranded and alone on the beautiful (but dangerous) land. She meets Alfred, a hunter in search of a missing caribou herd, who reluctantly takes Lia under his wing. The two embark on a journey through the rugged and stunning Northwest Territories landscape that will change their lives forever.
Sami Blood (2016)
Section: International Competition of European First Films
Directed by: Amanda Kernell
Sweden, Denmark, Norway, 2016, 110 min
Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 1
Score:
The Scandinavian variant of a shameful practice employed by self-proclaimed “civilized" nations around the world in the 19th and 20th centuries: the systematic removal of Indigenous children from their parents, homes, and traditional lifestyles and forced integration into an educational system that taught them that their customs and lifestyles were inferior at best. Elle Marja is a teenage Sámi girl in the 1930s who is sent to a boarding school intended on raising its Indigenous charges to a level "acceptable" to the rest of Swedish society. Curious and excited, Elle Marja at first excels in her new surroundings, mastering the Swedish language and her other lessons while her younger sister, Njenna, struggles. But this very success, coupled with Elle Marja's intense desire to be accepted by her teachers, her internalization of the school's vile lessons about race and class, and her burgeoning sexuality, soon drives a wedge between her and her fellow students, forcing her to take an action she may not have the opportunity to regret.