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Elections are a feast for the media. All the skeletons hidden in the politicians’ closets are dragged out.
To make a film that contains incisive satire aimed at politicians requires the author to have a strong social nerve and civic courage. The director has said that the majority of the film is speculation: “Sometimes people go into a room, stay in there for a while, then come back out and say something. But we don’t know what they’ve done in that room.” This film is the director’s comedy-like fantasy – what may happen behind closed doors.
Prime Minister Alma Solvik gets caught up in a scandal before elections. During Alma’s term in power, her husband Sondre has done transactions on the stock exchange apparently using the government’s inside information. Alma puts together a crisis communication HQ that formulates the tactics for communicating with the public. The Prime Minister is also a prime minister at home and therefore they launch the campaign “Sondre is the culprit” – the elections must be won, after all.
Some Norwegian critics have said that the film should have been even harsher. In Norway, everyone knows which political scandal the plot is based on. In other parts of the world, however, the film might be much more understandable, just as it is. Viewers will surely be able to draw parallels with scandals involving the politicians of their home country. For Estonian viewers, there is definitely plenty to recognise.
Mihkel Möölman
Petter Næss (1960) has worked as a writer, director and actor in theatre productions, staging numerous shows at the Oslo New Theatre. His second feature film “Elling” (2000) was a massive box office hit in Norway with roughly 800 000 viewers and was nominated for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar. He has made 11 full-length films, including “Bare Bea” (2004) and “Hoppet” (2007), both which have been screened at the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival. His comedy “Tatt av kvinnen” (“Gone with the Woman”, 2007) was also shown at the Tartu Love Film Festival Tartuff.
Filmography:
(valik/selected): Absolutt blåmandag (Lõppjooma, PÖFF 1999), Elling (2000, PÖFF 2001), Bare Bea (2003, Lihtsalt Bea, PÖFF 2004), Hoppet (Hüpped, PÖFF 2007),
Tatt av kvinnen (Naisest viidud, 2007, Tartuff 2008), Into the White (Valge vangistus, 2012), Ingenting å le av (Siin pole midagi naljakat, 2021), Ingen kommentar (No Comments, 2025)
Grand Prix for The Best Film, grant of 20 000 euros from the city of Tallinn, Award for Best Director, grant of 5000€ from Alexela
