SEX, Europa Cinemas Label
Panorama Berlinale
The Norwegian feature film Sex by Dan Johan Haugerud has won the Europa Cinemas Label as Best European film in the Panorama section, it was announced today by a jury of four exhibitors from the network, the nineteenth time the Label has been awarded in Berlin.
Sex by Dag Johan Haugerud will now benefit from promotional support from Europa Cinemas and better exhibition thanks to a financial incentive for network cinemas to include it in their programme schedule.
The jury issued the following statement – “Dag Johan Haugerud’s Sex is fresh, original, and, above all, great fun. Yes, it is a talky film, but we feel strongly that the open and frank conversations about the fundamental nature of relationships will please audiences around Europe. Their attention is gripped from the first scene, and it will challenge and stay with them for a long time. The excellent photography helps drive the film’s appeal. And what a pleasure to see tangible evidence that men can talk freely about their feelings!”
The Label Jury consisted of Jure Matičič, Programmer / General manager, Mestni kino Domžale, Domžale, Slovenia; Marc Velinsky, CEO, Central im Bürgerbräu, Würzburg, Germany; Giuditta Ricci, Director of Cinélux, Geneva, Switzerland and Autumn Scott, Board of Directors, Breakthroughs Film Festival, Canada
Learn more about the EC Label Jury (Berlinale 2024)
Sex is a Motlys production, co-produced with Viaplay Group (Oslo). World sales are by m-appeal.
The cast is composed of Jan Gunnar Røise (chimney sweep), Thorbjørn Harr (Managing Director), Siri Forberg (chimney sweep's wife) and Birgitte Larsen (wife of the managing director).
Synopsis: Two chimney sweeps, both in monogamous heterosexual marriages, each find themselves in situations that encourage them to rethink their ideas about sexuality and gender roles. One of them experiences a sexual encounter with a man without perceiving it as an expression of homosexual desire or as infidelity to his wife. The other sees himself as a woman in his dream at night. This confuses and disturbs him, and he considers the extent to which other people's views of him shape his personality. He wonders whether he has suppressed parts of his identity and whether this has limited his free development so far.
The Norwegian author and director, Dag Johan Haugerud was born in 1964, won the Norwegian Amanda Film Prize for Best Film, Best Director, Best Screenplay and Best Supporting Actress with I Belong (2012). Beware of Children (2019) premiered at the Venice International Film Festival, won the Dragon Award for Best Film and Best Actor at the Gothenburg Film Festival, and won nine Amandas at the Haugesund International Norwegian Film Festival.
« In Dag Johan Haugerud’s Sex, the chimney is swept before we get down to business. Whether hetero or homo, witty wordplay challenges normative images of men and society in modern urban Norway. » (Berlinale)
- Director : Dag Johan Haugerud
- Screenplay : Dag Johan Haugerud
- Cinematography : Cecile Semec
- Editor : Jens Christian Fodstad
- Music : Peder Capion Kjellsby
- Sound Design : Gisle Tveito, Yvonne Sternberg
- Sound : Helge Bodøgaard
- Design : Tuva Hølmebakk
- Costume : Ida Toft
- Make up : Maren Anna Olstad
- Casting : Celine Engebrigtsen
- Producers : Yngve Saether, Hege Hauff Hvattum
- Exec Producers : Espen Osmundsen, Kari Moen Kristiansen, Tanya Nanette, Yildiz Badendyck
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Presse : Charles McDonald
charles@charlesmcdonald.co.uk
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