DVD Eventyrland

Silje Salomonsen plays Jenny, a girl that tries to stay away from her old bad acquaintances after spending several years in jail, following an incident linked to drug smuggling and murder. At the time of this mistake she was pregnant, and gave birth in prison to a little girl called Merete. Fortunately this one could be raised outside jail in normal conditions, and becomes a very joyful and clever kid. So, when Jenny can get out, she wants Merete to join her in the hope of restarting her life were it had stopped abruptly. But the bad guys from her past are still around, waiting to spoil her new beginning.

Eventyrland is an atmospheric film, with amazing views of nature land, creating a terrific contrast with the prison environment and her depressing house. Like a fly trapped in a room, hitting all windows to find a way out, Jenny is struggling to escape her fate. It is a sad story, but a beautiful film, very well played and directed. The music part also deserves being mentioned.

Everyone has to pay the price for his errors in this film, but Merete's smile and dance show fortunately that she is not too affected by these murky events, and can easily recover from a wrong start.

Norwegian screenwriter, cinematographer and director Arild Østin Ommundsen's fifth feature film which he wrote, premiered in Norway, was screened in the Focus on World Cinema section at the 37th Montréal World Film Festival in 2013, was shot on location in Stavanger, Norway and is a Norwegian production which was produced by producer Gary Cranner. It tells the story about a woman named Jenny who shortly after telling her boyfriend named Frank that they are going to become parents and getting engaged, gets involved in a criminally related situation which leads to her ending up in prison. After being released many years later, Jenny moves into a house in Stavanger, Norway and as she is doing everything she can to get more contact with her teenage daughter named Merete whom has been living with her foster parents, she meets a man who takes a liking to her.

Distinctly and engagingly directed by Nordic filmmaker Arild Østin Ommundsen, this finely paced fictional tale which is narrated mostly from the protagonist's point of view, draws a diverse and riveting portrayal of a Norwegian mother and ex-con whom whilst looking for ways to make her new home as decent as possible for her daughter befriends a former schoolmate named Gary and some vengeful criminals from her past. While notable for it's naturalistic and atmospheric milieu depictions, sterling cinematography by Arild Østin Ommundsen and use of sound, colors and light, this character-driven and narrative-driven story about a mother's love for her daughter, the people who won't leave her alone and let her get on with her life and ultimately about a filmmaker's love for his family, depicts a rare study of character and contains a great score by Norwegian composer Thomas Dybdahl.

This dramatic, freshly humorous, light-hearted and fairy-tale-like indie which is set in a city in Western Norway in the 21st century and where a woman whom is awaiting the recovery of her fiancée and focusing on her future relationship with her only child is constantly bothered by some bad men who begins to go after the person who is dearest to her to get what they are after, is impelled and reinforced by it's cogent narrative structure, subtle character development and continuity, variegated characters, scenes between Jenny and her boyfriend and Jenny and her daughter, many fine cinematic moments, hilarious and so true comment by Gary : "Det jo typisk det." and the charming and understated acting performances by Norwegian actress Silje Salomonsen, Norwegian actor Tomas Alf Larsen and Norwegian actress Iben Østin Hjelle in her debut feature film role. A romantic, cinematographic and informal drama.