Estonian premiere

Birthday Girl

Local title
Sünnipäevatüdruk
Director
Michael Noer
Country
Denmark
Year
2023
Festival
27th Black Nights Film Festival
Programme
Gala Screenings
Genre
thriller
Subject
child-parent relationships

In 2010, Michael Noer’s feature film debut “R” (co-director Tobias Lindholm) saw the light of day. Along with this, the authors published their so-called Reality Rules. In very simple terms, they find that an interesting scenario and good actors are not enough. The environment and reality surrounding the story must also influence how the story is told. Michael has stuck to his beliefs in the latest film – to support the story with authenticity.

Single mother Nanna makes a gift for her daughter's 18th birthday. She has booked a Caribbean cruise for Cille, her friend, and herself. Everyone's expectations are high when they board the ship. And the first night is wonderful. But when she wakes in the morning, she discovers that her daughter is missing. When the girl is finally found, it turns out that something terrible has happened. No one does anything about the situation. Nanna understands that she must take justice into her own hands.

The director has managed to create an engaging film that is partly a thriller but above all a drama. It is the latter's genre definition that best describes one of Denmark's best-known actresses, Trine Dyrholm's choices in the role of Nanna. By considering the director's creative credo, the viewer will reach a catharsis, which, unfortunately, we don't see very often in films. The viewer breathes in the same rhythm as the story and its characters.

Mihkel Möölman

Director
Michael Noer
Screenwriter
Jesper Fink, Michael Noer
Cast
Trine Dyrholm, Flora Ofelia Hofmann Lindahl, Herman Tømmeraas, Maja Ida Thiele
Producer
René Ezra, Matilda Appelin
DoP
Adam Wallensten
Editor
Jacob Thuesen
Production
Nordisk Film
Distributor
Estinfilm
Runtime
Language
Danish, English
Subtitles
Estonian, English
Other festivals
Zurich
Director
Michael Noer

Michael Noer (1978) graduated from the National Film School of Denmark. He has several award-winning documentary films to his credit. He embarked on feature filmmaking with the prison drama “R”, which he co-directed with Tobias Lindholm. The film was a great success at numerous festivals. In 2017, his first English-language film, “Papillon”, a remake of the 1973 film, premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. In 2018, “Before the Frost” competed at the Tokyo International Film Festival, where it won the Special Jury Prize and the Award for Best Actor.

Filmography:
Vesterbro (2007, doc), De vilde hjerter (The Wild Hearts, 2008, doc), Son of God (2010, doc, co-dir), R (PÖFF 2010, co-dir), Nordvest (PÖFF 2013), Nøgle hus spejl (Võti. Maja. Peegel, PÖFF 2015), Papillon (2017), Før frosten (Before the Frost, 2018), Birthday Girl (2023)

Screenings

Chill-Hall Apollo Kino Coca-Cola Plaza
Screening090103 / Sünnipäevatüdruk
SubtitlesEnglish, Estonian
Q&A guestsMichael Noer (Director, Screenwriter), Jesper Fink (Screenwriter), Trine Dyrholm (Cast), Maja Ida Thiele (Cast), Flora Ofelia Lindahl (Cast), Herman Tømmeraas (Cast)
Q&A duration
Screening duration
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