Haugesund Film Fest Opens with ‘The Wave,’ Premieres Docu ‘Rebels’
PARIS– Roar Uthaug’s disaster movie “The Wave” is set to open the 43rd Norwegian film festival in Haugesund.
The festival, which runs August 18-21, will also host the world premiere of Kari Anne Moe’s socially engaged docu feature “Rebels.” The screening will be attended by Norway’s Crown Prince Haakon Magnus.
“Rebels” centers around three Norwegian young adults who have dropped out of high school and struggle to fit into society. The docu follows them as they enter the Hooligan Project, a program dedicated to helping long-term unemployed young people get a fresh start in life.
“‘Rebels’ is upsetting because the participants are part of the project because of private and/or public failure of care, but it also gives you great belief in human beings. I have never before grown so fond of the participants in a documentary,” said fest programmer Skogrand.
The doc, which marks Moe’s follow-up to “Bravehearts,” is produced by Therese Naustdal and Gudmundur Gunnarsson at Fuglene and will be distributed by SF Norge on Aug. 21.
Meanwhile, “The Wave,” which is repped by TrustNordisk and considered Norway’s first disaster movie, centers on an experienced geologist who faces an imminent disaster with less than 10 minutes to react. The movie’s plot expands on geological predictions that a tsunami similar to the one that hit Norway 80 years ago will happen again.
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