Only Clouds Move the Stars
Encyclopedia
Only Clouds Move the Stars is a 1998
Norwegian
drama film
written and directed by Torun Lian
. Based on her novel of the same name, the film was Lian's directorial debut. The film was a critical and commercial success. It won the Amanda Award
in 1999 in the category Best film, and has received more awards internationally than any other Norwegian film. It was the Norwegian submission for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
.
, Maria meets Jakob, a boy around her age. The two become friends, and spend time together exploring the city, and having discussions about life and death. Through her friendship with Jakob, Maria comes to terms with her mother and their loss.
.
Norwegian critics were almost unanimously positive about the film. Jon Selås of Verdens Gang
praised the film for its "magical moments", and Rusten and Kristoffersen for their interplay and "fantastic" depictions of the main characters. He lauded Lian for "making the fundamentally important observation that children aren't half adults or unfinished individuals; they are children, they are human." Dagbladet
s reviewer was equally positive about the two leads, who she felt "carried the lion's share of the film". She rated the film 5/6, and urged moviegoers to "bring a handkerchief."
The film also received favourable notices from American publications. Variety
's Gunnar Rehlin found the film to be "realistically told", and characterized it as "funny, sad and bittersweet by turns, with a conclusion that's optimistic but feels right." The Hollywood Reporter
also commented positively on the film, acclaiming Lian for creating a "truly magical family film, in large part a result of her work with the two young players." The reviewer found Rusten to "embod[y] the fragile vulnerability of a young girl who feels that she has been deserted by everyone," and characterized Kristoffersen as a "delight as the irrepressible Jacob."
Only Clouds Move the Stars received awards at several international film festivals. The film was awarded a Crystal Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival
's Kinderfilmfest. At the Lübeck Nordic Film Days, the film won the Nordic Film Institute's Award for Best Film, Children and Young People, and the Grand Prize for Best Feature. Other awards included the Audience Award and Best Actress Award at the Rouen Nordic Film Festival
. Domestically, the film was nominated for four Amanda Awards
, and won in the category Best Film. Torun Lian subsequently received the Ingmar Bergman
-award for the film.
1998 in film
-Events:* February 14 - Sharon Stone marries Phil Bronstein.* Former child star Gary Coleman is charged with assaulting a young female bus driver at a California shopping mall.-Top grossing films:...
Norwegian
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
drama film
Drama film
A drama film is a film genre that depends mostly on in-depth development of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes. Dramatic themes such as alcoholism, drug addiction, infidelity, moral dilemmas, racial prejudice, religious intolerance, poverty, class divisions, violence against women...
written and directed by Torun Lian
Torun Lian
Torun Lian is a Norwegian playwright, film director and novelist. She made her literary début in 1988 with the collection Tre skuespill, for which she was awarded the Tarjei Vesaas' debutantpris. Among her films are Bare skyer beveger stjernene from 1998, and Ikke naken, ikke kledt from...
. Based on her novel of the same name, the film was Lian's directorial debut. The film was a critical and commercial success. It won the Amanda Award
Amanda (award)
The Amanda Award is an award given annually at the Norwegian International Film Festival in Haugesund, Norway, to promote and improve Norwegian film. The award originated in 1985, and has since 2005 been exclusively a film award...
in 1999 in the category Best film, and has received more awards internationally than any other Norwegian film. It was the Norwegian submission for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
The Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film is one of the Academy Awards of Merit, popularly known as the Oscars, handed out annually by the U.S.-based Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences...
.
Synopsis
The film introduces 11 year old Maria in her little brother Pilten's funeral. Following her son's death, Maria's mother becomes engulfed in her own sorrow, and distances herself from Maria. While spending the summer holiday with her grandparents in BergenBergen
Bergen is the second largest city in Norway with a population of as of , . Bergen is the administrative centre of Hordaland county. Greater Bergen or Bergen Metropolitan Area as defined by Statistics Norway, has a population of as of , ....
, Maria meets Jakob, a boy around her age. The two become friends, and spend time together exploring the city, and having discussions about life and death. Through her friendship with Jakob, Maria comes to terms with her mother and their loss.
Cast
- Thea Sofie Rusten as Maria
- Jan Tore Kristoffersen as Jakob
- Anneke von der LippeAnneke von der LippeAnneke von der Lippe is a Norwegian actress.She graduated from the Norwegian National Academy of Theatre in 1988, and has since acted both at Det Norske Teatret and at Nationaltheatret , in roles such as "Nora" in Henrik Ibsen's A Doll's House, "Masja" in Anton Chekhov's Three Sisters, and...
as Maria's mother - Jørgen LanghelleJørgen LanghelleJørgen Langhelle is an Award-winning leading Norwegian actor of stage, screen and television.Langhelle has starred in the two successful Norwegian mini-series Deadline Torp and Torpedo , as well as starring in such movies as Kristin Lavransdatter , Elling , I Am Dina , Tyven, tyven , Ulvesommer ...
as Maria's father
Release
Only Clouds Move the Stars had its theatrical release on 24 August 1998. The film was seen by 10,000 people during its opening weekend. It went on to become the second most viewed Norwegian film of 1998, beaten only by Gurin with the Foxtail, which was also produced by John M. JacobsenJohn M. Jacobsen
John Martin Jacobsen is a Norwegian film producer.In 2008 he was awarded the Order of St. Olav. In 2003 he won the Amanda Committee's Honorary Award.-Filmography:* Max Manus * Elias og kongeskipet...
.
Norwegian critics were almost unanimously positive about the film. Jon Selås of Verdens Gang
Verdens Gang
Verdens Gang , generally known under the abbreviation VG, is a Norwegian tabloid newspaper...
praised the film for its "magical moments", and Rusten and Kristoffersen for their interplay and "fantastic" depictions of the main characters. He lauded Lian for "making the fundamentally important observation that children aren't half adults or unfinished individuals; they are children, they are human." Dagbladet
Dagbladet
Dagbladet is Norway's second largest tabloid newspaper, and the third largest newspaper overall with a circulation of 105,255 copies in 2009, 18,128 papers less than in 2008. The editor in chief is Lars Helle....
s reviewer was equally positive about the two leads, who she felt "carried the lion's share of the film". She rated the film 5/6, and urged moviegoers to "bring a handkerchief."
The film also received favourable notices from American publications. Variety
Variety (magazine)
Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
's Gunnar Rehlin found the film to be "realistically told", and characterized it as "funny, sad and bittersweet by turns, with a conclusion that's optimistic but feels right." The Hollywood Reporter
The Hollywood Reporter
Formerly a daily trade magazine, The Hollywood Reporter re-launched in late 2010 as a unique hybrid publication serving the entertainment industry and a consumer audience...
also commented positively on the film, acclaiming Lian for creating a "truly magical family film, in large part a result of her work with the two young players." The reviewer found Rusten to "embod[y] the fragile vulnerability of a young girl who feels that she has been deserted by everyone," and characterized Kristoffersen as a "delight as the irrepressible Jacob."
Only Clouds Move the Stars received awards at several international film festivals. The film was awarded a Crystal Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival
Berlin International Film Festival
The Berlin International Film Festival , also called the Berlinale, is one of the world's leading film festivals and most reputable media events. It is held in Berlin, Germany. Founded in West Berlin in 1951, the festival has been celebrated annually in February since 1978...
's Kinderfilmfest. At the Lübeck Nordic Film Days, the film won the Nordic Film Institute's Award for Best Film, Children and Young People, and the Grand Prize for Best Feature. Other awards included the Audience Award and Best Actress Award at the Rouen Nordic Film Festival
Rouen Nordic Film Festival
The Rouen Nordic Film Festival was a film festival hold in Rouen, France for screening and competition films made in Nordic and Baltic countries, Holland and Belgium...
. Domestically, the film was nominated for four Amanda Awards
Amanda (award)
The Amanda Award is an award given annually at the Norwegian International Film Festival in Haugesund, Norway, to promote and improve Norwegian film. The award originated in 1985, and has since 2005 been exclusively a film award...
, and won in the category Best Film. Torun Lian subsequently received the Ingmar Bergman
Ingmar Bergman
Ernst Ingmar Bergman was a Swedish director, writer and producer for film, stage and television. Described by Woody Allen as "probably the greatest film artist, all things considered, since the invention of the motion picture camera", he is recognized as one of the most accomplished and...
-award for the film.