We are
excited to announce that our Norwegian drama HOPE by critically acclaimed
director Maria Sødahl has been officially selected for the Discovery section
at
the Toronto International Film Festival (5-15 September 2019), where it will
also have its world premiere.
Following her
international breakthrough with her debut film LIMBO (2010), which won Best
Director-ex aequo in Montreal along with 10 Amanda nominations in 2011,
award-winning
director Maria Sødahl is ready with her second feature HOPE now selected for
Toronto International Film Festival within the Discovery section.
HOPE is a true story-based drama with a star-studded Scandinavian cast and a
powerful, captivating story. The story encircles the many aspects of love and
the question of what happens to love when life suddenly has an expiration
date.
A promo of HOPE was showcased earlier this year at a closed market screening
in
Cannes and was positively received among distributors. With the newly
announced selection for Toronto, this marks the high quality of Sødah´s
second
feature.
Managing Director of TrustNordisk, Susan Wendt,
comments on the
selection:
‘We are
very excited that HOPE has been selected to premiere in Toronto. The film
contributes with a heartrending story and powerful performances. We look very
much forward to working with the film and have great expectations for it
too.´
The cast includes Norwegian actress Andrea Bræin Hovig (AN AFFAIR, 2018; ALL
THE BEAUTY, 2016) who takes the female lead opposite multi-award-winning
Swedish actor Stellan Skarsgård (CHERNOBYL, 2019; OUT STEALING HORSES, 2019;
NYMPHOMANIAC,
2013; MELANCHOLIA, 2011), who stars as the male lead in the drama.
Synopsis:
What happens with
love when a woman in the middle of her life gets three months left to live?
Anja (43) lives with Tomas (59) in a large family of biological children and
stepchildren. For years, the couple have grown independent of each other.
When
Anja gets a terminal brain cancer diagnosis the day before Christmas, their
life breaks down and exposes neglected love.
HOPE is
produced by Thomas Robsahm for Motlys in co-production with Zentropa Sweden,
Film i Väst and Oslo Pictures, with support from the Norwegian Film
Institute,
Swedish Film Institute, Nordic Film and TV Fund, Eurimages, and in
cooperation
with SF Studios, TrustNordisk, NRK, SVT, Amarcord, Talent Norge and Storyline
Studios.International
sales handled by TrustNordisk.
Local distribution through SF Studios, release date yet to be announced.
To learn
more about the film, please click
here.