Following their beloved mother’s passing, sisters Nora (Renate Reinsve), a neurotic stage actress, and Agnes (Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas), a selfless therapist, must contend with their long-absent father Gustav (Stellan Skarsgård) barging back into their lives. A once-revered film director now barely evading obscurity’s undertow, he believes that a new, deeply personal project can salvage his career. But when Nora refuses the role he wrote specifically for her, Gustav finds a new muse in an eager but unpolished Hollywood star (Elle Fanning), sending his botched reconciliation spiraling further into chaos.
Joachim Trier’s superb follow-up to The Worst Person in the World sees him collaborating once more with Reinsve to craft an endlessly expressive, utterly transfixing protagonist whose mercurial nature keeps us on tenterhooks. Skarsgård’s knack for finely calibrated gestures is likewise a wonder to behold, pitting Gustav’s oversized ego against his burgeoning conscience as they wrestle for dominion. Abetted by outstanding performances, Trier mines both humour and heartbreak from these damaged souls’ attempts to mend their frayed family ties.
Grand Prix, Cannes 2025; Oscar Submission: Norway
Joachim Trier
Renate Reinsve, Stellan Skarsgård, Elle Fanning, Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas
Norway/France/Denmark/
Germany/Sweden/UK
2025
In English and Norwegian with English subtitles
Book Tickets
Credits
Executive Producer
Eva Yates, Tom Quinn, Jeff Deutchman, Alexandre Mallet-Guy, Fridrik H. Mar, Magnus Thomassen, Kristina Börjeson, Anders Kjærhauge, Ola Strøm, Solène Léger, Nancy Grant, Renate Reinsve, Stellan Skarsgård, Joachim Trier, Eskil Vogt
Producer
Maria Ekerhovd, Andrea Berentsen Ottmar
Cinematography
Kasper Tuxen Andersen
Editor
Olivier Bugge Coutté
Production Design
Jørgen Stangebye Larsen
Original Music
Hania Rani
Missing VIFF? Check out what's playing at the VIFF Centre
How Dare You?
A bug-loving boy, a passionate classmate, and a troublemaker launch playful eco-protests against their town’s careless habits. As their missions escalate, they face real consequences in Director O’s witty, bittersweet Grand Jury Prize winner from the Toronto Japanese Film Festival.
A Sad and Beautiful World
This Lebanese love story chronicles the romance between a level-headed businesswoman and a romantic restauranteur across several decades in wartorn Beirut. It's funny, charming, melancholy and you'll feel it all.
One Last Love Letter
In 2024, Nazuna writes to the young man she secretly loved as a teenager. Her letter reaches his grieving father, revealing memories of Shinsuke, an aspiring boxer killed in the 2000 Naka-Meguro train disaster, and opening a tender exchange.
American Doctor
One of the most powerful documentaries of the year, this puts us smack in the open wound that is Gaza, filtered through the eyes of three American surgeons (of Palestinian, Jewish and Zoroastrian backgrounds) compelled to do their utmost to alleviate harm.
Samurai Vengeance
In Edo-era Japan, a young kabuki actor’s celebrated revenge becomes legend. When a provincial samurai investigates the truth behind the vendetta, conflicting testimonies expose hidden motives and buried secrets in this atmospheric jidaigeki mystery about rumor, performance, and myth.