The Glasgow Film Festival enjoys its twenty-first birthday this year, opening on February 26 and running until March 9. The festival continues to grow, annually, with audience numbers on the rise and a host of international stars walking the red carpet.
Alongside Gala Screenings, Special Events, Country Focus and the Audience Award (won, last year, by Logi Sigursveinsson and Smari Gunn’s The Home Game), there’s also plenty of Nordic cinema to keep you going.
We take a look at 5 films you shouldn’t miss and the Mai Zetterling retrospective being run by this year’s festival.
Mr K
Screening on March 1 and 2, Tallulah Hazehamp Schwab’s Mr K is a must-see for lovers of the absurd. Starring Crispin Glover alongside Scandi talent such as Jan Gunnar Røise and Bjørn Sundquist. It tells the story of a struggling illusionist, who suddenly finds himself trapped in a decaying hotel, surrounded by a host of eccentric characters.
The Extraordinary Miss Flower
Screening on March 1 and 2. A treasure trove of love letters provides the jumping off point for this vibrant and experimental exploration of a life, featuring music by Icelandic singer-songwriter Emilíana Torrini. This enigmatic film covers everything from love affairs to potential espionage and stars Caroline Catz, Nick Cave and Richard Ayoade.
The Swedish Torpedo
Screening on March 2 and 3, this inspirational biopic of the Swedish distance swimmer, Sally Bauer, is a fascinating watch. Written and directed by Frida Kempff, the film immerses you in pre-World War Two Europe, with all the poverty and misogyny that pervaded Bauer’s impressive feats.
Love
Screening on March 7 and 8, Love is part of the Sex | Dreams | Love trilogy of standalone films from Norwegian writer / director Dag Johan Haugerud. The film is an emotionally complex, character-driven drama centering on the sexual experiences of a heterosexual urologist and her gay colleague.
Dreams
Screening on March 8 and 9, you can complete parts two and three of Dag Johan Haugerud’s trilogy with Dreams. It tells the story of he sexual awakening of a teenager who writes about her crush on her French teacher. Navigating intergenerational trauma and fantasy versus reality, this is an intriguing watch.
Mai Zetterling Retrospective
The pioneering Swedish actor and director Mai Zetterling will be celebrated in a special retrospective marking the centenary of her birth.
This includes screenings of her on-screen roles, including the intriguing war-time thriller The Man Who Finally Died (starring Zetterling alongside Peter Cushing) and British noir Blackmailed co-starring Dirk Bogarde. It will also focus on her diverse directorial features like her 1964 debut Loving Couples (which saw the Mayor of Cannes ban the poster as it featured naked silhouettes); Scrubbers, a raw depiction of the relationships and rivalries in a girls’ borstal unit, starring a young Kathy Burke; and her Venice Golden Lion-winning short The War Game, exploring how young boys are exposed to violence through play.
You can get your Glasgow Film Festival tickets here. You can also get tickets to see Glasgow Film Festival films at nationwide cinema partners across the UK. Find your nearest cinema here.