Opening Night
Tuesday 9th September
Also screening Monday 15th September

Here’s where the magic begins! The Festival starts, as you might expect, with an absolute corker! Just voted the audience’s favourite at the prestigious Karlovyvary Festival, Old, New, Borrowed, Blue kicks off the festival in real style. We’re really proud to have this film and to get everyone in the festival spirit you’ll be treated to a Free glass of wine courtesy of wine merchants Matthew Clark.

Opening Night sponsored by One North East.

UK Premiere
Old, New, Borrowed, Blue (Adv 15)

> Dir: Natasha Arthy. Denmark 2003. 1hr 30mins.
Danish with English subtitles.

Set in Copenhagen and shot according to the Dogme 95 manifesto, this romantic comedy ably confronts our attitudes towards living - Katrine is getting married, her boyfriend is great, their flat is great and the in-laws aren’t bad either, but she’s having a hard time telling her depressed and jilted sister, Mette, that she is about to marry her own boyfriend, Jonas, in just a couple of days.

But when Mette’s ex Thomsen returns, ready to pick up the secret affair he enjoyed with Katrine, things get even more complex – and then Katrine discovers that Thomsen is HIV positive but doesn’t want him to know that she knows…
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> Dir: Marek Lechki. Poland 2002.
1hr. Polish with English subtitles.

A poetic tale of hope about the residents of a solitary housing block on the outskirts of a mining town, My Town is the story of Gozdzik, who has been living in the block since birth. Gozdzik's father recently lost his job and now spends all of his time fishing in the local lake with little success whilst his mother does her best to keep up family life. As life goes on in this former mining town, Gozdzik’s best friend Cichy is slowly restoring an old car dreaming that he can escape the humdrum existence.

A film of real depth, the director Marek Lechki finds humour and compassion within a community held in a grip of helplessness and despair.
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> Dir: Ilkka Jarvi-Laturi. 1hr 39mins.
Estonia/Finland/USA 1993.
Finnish and Estonian with English Subtitles.

A heist movie extraordinaire, this ‘Spaghetti Eastern’ will have you teetering on the edge of your seat. Gangsters have their eyes on the national gold reserve, brought out of its World War II storage to a newly independent Estonia.

To get their hands on the loot their plan is to cut off all of Tallinn’s power, enabling them to make their escape under cover of darkness. When mild-mannered electrician Toivo is ‘recruited’ to help them pull the job off, he must weigh up the pros and cons – can he really let the national loot disappear into the dark night?

“Packs more invention into five minutes than most films do in two hours” London Evening Standard
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> Dir: Kristijonas Vildziunas. Lithuania 2002.
1hr 18mins. Lithuanian with English subtitles.

Following the euphoria of Lithuanian independence in 1999 the newly-found freedoms bring opportunity and uncertainty to the realities of everyday life. The Lease is the story of a successful businesswoman who mirrors the country's change by leaving the familiarity of family life to strive for new opportunities.

However, this proves much tougher than she planned as she confronts the unknown brought on by a society in flux, and showing that the outward freedom of a country does not equate with the inner freedom of its people…

A dream-like mediation on life in a brave new world from a director who’s cementing himself as a talent to watch closely.
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> Dir: Arvo Iho. 2hrs 3mins.
Estonia/Czech Republic/Germany/Russia 2001.
Estonian and Russian with English subtitles.

A marvellously simple tale of Nika, a young Estonian hunter who takes himself off into the Siberian Taiga to live and hunt in a remote forest hut. Hoping to find his true self far from civilisation, he encounters the forest’s natives who introduce him to the myths of the north and local tradition – and help him find love in the shape of Gitya, the local teacher…

Shot in the remote and breathtaking wilderness of the region, this is a romantic drama with a real difference.
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Estonia has long and outstanding tradition of animation that dates back to 1930’s. The rise of all forms of animation in the country came during the reign of the Soviet Union when despite the prevailing censorship, the animation genre reached its peak both in terms of artistic and commercial success. Northern Lights Film Festival are presenting the cream of the crop of Estonian animation of recent years, featuring puppetry, traditional cell animation and 3-D work.

This extra-special programme forms a groundbreaking journey through the criminal underworld, fairy tales, fables and side-splitting comedy that you can’t miss - all from the little nation of big animation.

Location map for University of Teesside

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> Dir: Unni Straume.
Norway/Sweden 2002. 1hr 37mins.
Norwegian and Swedish with English subtitles.

When Sara and Peter’s young boy dies in a tragic accident, their relationship ends with divorce. Sara, a writer, retreats to their modern villa by the sea and tries to rebuild her life by putting new energy into her work. Taking in Bogdan, a Serbian musician as a lodger, her life becomes embroiled in his writing and the practise sessions of his orchestra until Peter returns, bringing fresh complications…

A deep drama with melancholy undertones, this brilliant film echoes the work of Ingmar Bergman in its pared-down narrative and austere beauty.

A wholly sophisticated work about the battle between intellectual order and artistic chaos.
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> Dir: Ulf Malmros. Sweden 2002. 1hr 29mins.
Swedish and Arabic with English subtitles.

If Jesminder in Bend it Like Beckham had a kid brother then he’d be just like Marcello, a 10 year old trying to figure out what he wants to do in life. Contrary to the dreams of his quasi Italian parents to be a footballer or a priest, he’s got a strong feeling that his chosen vocation will involve flying, but his fear of heights might just stop that plan in its tracks…

“One of the best new Swedish films We Can Be Heroes! has enough depth and charm to appeal to both adults and kids. Both funny and tragic with a refreshing mix of reality and surrealism” Variety
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> Dir: Marius Holst. Norway 2001. 1hr 50mins.
Swedish and Danish with English subtitles.

The latest work from respected Norwegian director Marius Holst. Eddie (Kim Bodnia) and Maria (Maria Bonnevie) are trying live their lives calmly and quietly after a troubled past but their secluded and idyllic existence is blown apart by the unexpected arrival of Eddie’s friend, the ex-con Kullman (Mikael Persbrandt).

Kullman is hell-bent on a mission of revenge and insists that Eddie come out of retirement to help him. With a fantastic and an expertly crafted script, Dragonflies is a thrilling, psychological drama. A must see.

“Beautifully shot and unsettlingly tense”
Jaime Russell, BBC
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> Dir: Josef Fares. Sweden 2000. 1hr 27mins.
Swedish and Arabic with English subtitles.

A top-notch comedy and a genuinely rich multicultural experience. This is the Swedish East Is East, and marks the début of director Josef Fares as a great new talent in Swedish cinema. Måns and Roro are best friends working together in the parks department. Roro is of Arab origin and without his parents knowing, has a white Swedish girlfriend who he’s been planning to introduce to his family for a long time, but never seems to get round to it.

However, just as he’s ready to broach the subject he finds that he’s got an arranged marriage on his hands and the clock is ticking as he desperately tries to juggle his Lebanese bride-to-be with the Swedish bride he wants.
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> Dir: Artur Urbanski. Poland 2001.
1hr 9mins. Polish with English subtitles.

With a nod to Luchino Visconti’s film of the same name, Bellissima is a story of a mother pushing her 14 year old into the world of modelling. Falsifying her daughter’s age on entrance forms is a small part of Marysia’s mum’s obsession with creating a successful modelling career and a life of glamour for her daughter.

But her controlling personality drives her daughter against her until strangely, the roles become reversed. Filmed with kinetic energy, there is a fresh and frank humour to Artur Urbanski’s startling debut.

Supported by the Polish Cultural Institute.

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> Dir: Aleksandr Rogozhkin.
Russia/Finland 2002. 1hr 40mins.
Finnish/Russian/Lapp with English subtitles.

Set in Finland in September 1944, just before the Finnish withdrawal from the Second World War, Alexander Rogozhkin’s brilliant film focuses on the relations between Veiko, a Finnish sniper (or ‘cuckoo’), who is left chained to a rock in an SS uniform by departing Germans, and Ivan, a Russian captain arrested at the front by secret police for his supposed ‘political’ comments.

After escaping from their respective predicaments, they find themselves sharing a house with a young Lapp woman, Anny. The three speak no word of each other’s language, giving rise to misunderstandings that range from the hilarious to the tragic.
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> Dir: Jannik Johansen. Denmark 2003
1hr 49mins. Danish with English subtitles.

Based on the biggest, and daftest European art theft in recent years, this story brings together an unlikely father-son team of petty thieves who branch out of their scrap metal pilfering trade and step into the art world for a one-off job. Their attempt to steal a mildly valuable painting from a local museum is botched when they realise they’ve taken the wrong painting - Denmark's only original Rembrandt masterpiece.

So begins this beguiling and wildly entertaining film about art, its thieves and how not to run a family business. Soon after discovering the true identity of the painting, the cracks begin to show and the relationship between father and son takes a new turn.
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> Dir: Radoslaw Markiewicz. Poland 2000.
1hr 10mins. Polish with English subtitles.

When Maciek gets out of hospital, he finds that he’s lost everything including his apartment and his beloved old car. After finding a room in a local hostel, he makes friends with Michal, an old, homeless man who is trying desperately to stay on the wagon. When the pair discover Maciek’s car at the scrap yard adventure beckons and they decide to get it back on the road and head off on a dream trip to the mountains.

But will their friendship last long enough to make it? And can Michal remain teetotal? Shot with real grit and finesse, Scrap is a moving story amongst people on life’s edge.
Do not miss.

Supported by the Polish Cultural Institute.

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> Dir: Jesper W Nielsen. Denmark 2002.
1hr 33 mins. Danish with English subtitles.

Starring Dogme and Denmark’s darling male actor, Troels Lyby (The Idiots) and Danish Academy Award Winner Paprika Steen, (Dancer in the Dark), Jesper W. Nielson directs his superb cast through this witty and subtle comedy drama. Nete (Paprika Steen) is a tough cookie who runs her job, husband and teenage daughter with a firm and efficient hand.

Her bitter and introverted father is diagnosed with a terminal illness and given three weeks to live and persuaded to move into the family home for his last days he gradually becomes more difficult to live with. But when he doesn’t die on schedule, Nete’s perfect nuclear family starts to fall apart, meaning she’s got to face up to things and learn to love life again – and fast! Fabulously satirical, this is sure to be a festival favourite.

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> Dir: Viesturs Kairiss. Latvia 2001.
1hr 30mins. Latvian with English Subtitles.

Shot in one of the wildest parts of Latvia and based on a great Latvian folk tale, this wonderful fairy tale is the story of nine-year-old Dauka, who cherishes the illusion that his Dad, a naval-officer who drowned at sea, is still alive. Whilst his mother cannot bear to tell him about the death of his father she’s consoling herself by having an affair with Viktor the forester - husband of Ruta, the village postmistress.

Gradually a web of lies and deceit engulfs the remote rural community, leading to the sudden disappearance of Dauka’s sister Liga... A unique and moving drama that pits the forces of nature against human emotion.
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> Dir: Carl Dreyer. Denmark 1943.
1hr 40mins. Danish with English subtitles.

In this stark drama of love and witchcraft in the 17th century, Anne is a young woman married to an elderly preacher. When Anne falls for the preacher’s son, her confession to her ageing husband brings on his sudden death. Suddenly Anne is condemned as a witch and set to be burnt, but will the young lover come to her aid?
Ruggedly beautiful, this is a rare chance to see a classic film from Dreyer, a director who only made 14 feature films and whose work is now more talked about than they are actually seen – make sure you don’t miss it in this glittering new print from the British Film Institute.

“Dreyer is a unique and innovating talent”
Derek Malcolm, The Guardian
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> Dir: Kristian Levring.
UK/Denmark 2002. 1hr 50 mins.

Almost a perfect blend for Northern Lights complete with a Danish director and a Geordie star. Kristian Levring’s follow-up to his Dogme-film The King Is Alive is a companion piece in every sense, visually, emotionally and thematically. Set in the Mid 1920s, Sarah (Janet McTeer) and her younger lover Hamish, an eager young surveyor travel to an ivory trading post deep in the Malaysian jungle.

The influence of the couple's high hopes and obvious love for each other on the small strained group of inhabitants unleashes greed, murder and madness: a tragedy where everyone is the victim of each others broken dreams…
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The ten rules of Dogme 95 were drawn up eight years ago. They include the mandatory use of handheld cameras, a ban on artificial lighting and props brought in from off set, and an insistence on plot that takes place here and now without containing superficial action by way of guns or murders. Since the creation of the Dogme movement, the effect on the worldwide filmmaking community has been significant, influencing many and inspiring even more. NLFF present a unique survey of the movement and a chance for you to meet one of its founders.

www.dogme95.dk

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> Dir: Thomas Vinterberg. Denmark 1998.
1hr 46mins. Danish with English subtitles.

Dogme 01 >
When three generations of a family meet at a handsome country hotel to celebrate the 60th birthday of the patriarch Helge, the lighthearted revelry swiftly descends into an atmosphere of seething resentment as damning family secrets are exposed.
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> Dir: Lars Von Trier. Denmark 1998.
1hr 57mins. Danish with English Subtitles.

Dogme 02 >
The most high profile of the films made in accordance with the puritanical Dogme Manifesto, Lars Von Trier's raw and unnerving film is a work of ambition and genuine originality that focuses on a commune whose residents shrug off middle-class apathy by nurturing their 'inner idiot'.
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> Dir: Søren Kragh-Jacobsen. Denmark 1999.
1hr 38mins. Danish with English subtitles.

Dogme 03 >
Kresten is an ambitious mover and shaker whose newly married life is turned upside down by the death of his estranged father in this well constructed mix of romance, sex, and humour which manages to be genuinely inventive and satisfying throughout.
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> Dir: Lone Scherfig. Denmark 2000.
1hr 52mins. Danish with English Subtitles.

Dogme 12 >
A wonderful culture-crossing romantic comedy about the romantically challenged students of a suburban Copenhagen language class. When Halvfinn, the new Priest in town is coerced into leading the class he finds that the mixed bag of students are seeking solace in more ways than one…
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> Dir: Susanne Bier. Denmark 2002.
1hr 53mins. Danish with English subtitles.

Dogme 28 >
An emotionally resonant and frequently poignant exploration of the powerful role of fate in relationships as two couples, the newly engaged Cecilie and Joachim and happily married Niels and Marie, are brought together by a shocking accident. A wholly rewarding and profoundly affecting movie.
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> Dir: Kristian Levring. Denmark 2000.
1hr 49mins. English and French with English subtitles.

Dogme 04 >
Featuring a host of American and European stars (including Jennifer Jason Leigh, Janet McTeer), the film follows the fate of an group of tourists whose bus becomes stranded in the desolate heart of the Namibian desert as they decide to stage a version of King Lear to while away the time…
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> Now, nearly 10 years on, has Dogme had its day? Or might the old Dog still have some teeth left? Dogme director and founding brother Kristian Levring will assess the evidence in conversation with writer Richard Kelly. Kristian was one of the four founding 'brothers' of the Dogme 95 group. He directed and co-wrote Dogme #4: The King is Alive, which screens as part of NLFF. His most recent film, co-written with and starring local Gosforth actress Janet McTeer, is The Intended, which gets its UK premiere in NLFF too. Richard Kelly is the author of ‘The Name of This Book is Dogme 95’ (published by Faber and Faber) and presenter of an accompanying Channel 4 documentary.

The Purified (Adv 12)

> Dir: Jesper Jargil. Denmark 2002. 1hr 12mins.
Danish with English subtitles.

The Dogme films have enjoyed audience and critical acclaim but what do the four Dogme brethren themselves think of them and was the project a success? In this fascinating documentary Lars von Trier, Thomas Vinterberg, Søren Kragh-Jacobsen and Kristian Levring evaluate the Dogme works, watching the footage, and discussing the Dogme 95 manifesto and the ten rules of the cinematic vow of Chastity.
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Take the gala screenings of the short films made under The Tyne v Tallinn Digital Film Challenge and pack the audience with film heads who vote for their favourite of the six films. Then mix in the hullabaloo of the end of Northern Lights Film Festival party featuring all the razzamatazz of a transformed Tyneside Cinema. And what have you got? Only the hottest ticket this year.

Welcome drinks (sponsored by Matthew Clark, Doktor Czech and Mordue) get the party started, a buffet soothes those munchies, then a rocking dance party featuring a live gig from songstress Beccy Owen (pictured bottom left) maintains the momentum throughout the night into early morning!

The Tyne v Tallinn Digital Film Challenge features all six films made over twelve days in Newcastle, Gateshead and Tallinn, Estonia. You choose the Festival winner.

Your nominees are:

Lovesick by Patrick Collerton (UK)
The Shoe Tree by Ian Cottage (UK)
Fender Bender by Dan Elliott (UK)
The Namemakers by Andri Luup (EST)
Suite For Two by Marko Raat (EST)
St Mercedes Day by Hendrik Toompere (EST)
Meet the Directors

[Ticket Information] £15.00 per ticket.
Tickets are already in short supply and advance booking is essential. Call us now on 0191 232 8289.

Grand Festival Gala sponsored by:
Northern Film & Media and UK Film Council.
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