Norwegian films at the London Film Festival

Until now, Norwegian crime author Jo Nesbø has resisted film adoptions of his work. “Headhunters”, directed by Morten Tyldum, is the story of Roger, Norway’s most successful headhunter, who is anxiously living beyond his means. To keep himself solvent, Roger runs art scams and when his wife introduces him to Clas Greve it all seems fortuitous because not only is Greve the perfect person for a job Roger is recruiting for, he also owns a very valuable painting. Needless to say, Roger’s once-in-a-lifetime opportunity does not go quite according to plan.

In “Oslo, August 31st”, directed by Joachim Trier, we meet recovering drug addict Anders who, as part of his treatment programme, is given a day’s leave from the countryside rehab centre to attend a job interview in his native Oslo. Anders starts his day in Oslo with an aborted suicide attempt, which sets the tone for the piece, before deliberately flunking the job interview. Anders seems to be more interested in using his day in Oslo to revisit, reassess and try to reconnect with the city and the people he loves.

When Truls Paulsen, a fanatical middle-aged curling champion diagnosed with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, learns that his old friend and coach Gordon is on his deathbed and in desperate need of an expensive operation, he gathers his old team in hopes of winning the national championship prize money for Gordon. “King Curling”, an eccentric pastel bright comedy about middle-age, OCD and the sport of curling, is directed by Ole Endresen and features Norwegian comedians like Atle Antonsen and Linn Skåber, as well as actress Ane Dahl Thorp, to name a few.

HEADHUNTERS
Section: Film On The Square (FOS)
TUE 18 OCT 20:30 VUE7
WED 19 OCT 12:30 VUE7
SAT 22 OCT 12:30 VUE7

OSLO, AUGUST 31ST
Section: Film On The Square (FOS)
WED 19 OCT 20:30 VUE6
THU 20 OCT 12:45 VUE6

KING CURLING
Section: Cinema Europa
SAT 22 OCT 20:45 VUE6
SUN 23 OCT 12:45