The Orkney Islands
The Orkney Islands are today part of Scotland. For five hundred years they were part of Norway. For four hundred years subject to the Norwegian Archbishop of Nidaros. As a guest of Honor, Eva gave the 17. mai speech in front of St. Magnus Cathedral in Kirkwall.
An incredibly stimulating encounter with an archipelago quite similar to Vesterålen. With an archaeological wealth that can take your breath away. Gentle green landscapes, Norse names and an honor to be greeted as Norwegians. One of the few places in the world where Norwegian and Norse have a high status. A strange mirror-image backwards in time for us who have to dig up our own history to understand the connection.
The ferry from mainland Scotland adorned with the Viking chief glids into the harbor, several times a day, with tourists from all over the world. This makes a big contrast to the down-to-earth, loving and warm atmosphere of the orkney inhabitants, where people say hei-hei when they pass each other in the narrow main street of Stromness. Thanks to @ONFA Orkney Norwegian Friendship Association for wonderful hospitality and friendship and thanks to Mark Jenkins and Rebecca at West Side Cinema for film screenings, food and tours all week. Orkney is an adventure.
SMILE and WAVE in Orkney!
Brilliant film screening in Stromness Town Hall, a church rigged for all occasions.
This time with the West Side Cinema, showing SMILE and WAVE. Cafe-tables with red lamps created the cinema-expectation. And the film-screen hanging below the organ worked perfectly. Packed with people and great atmosphere. Introduction to the seashore-theme was performed by Orkney Voices. 10 writers with text-memories from their childhoods experiences. Intertwined with Douglas Montgomery playing Norwegian mows on the Hardanger-fiddle. Orkney residents all have a relationship to the shore and could recognize the feelings in the film.
Afterwards, there was a dice roll with ping pong balls at the exit! Happy for the 5-points basket "Fantastic - I`m taking this to movie heaven"!. Thanks to Mark Jenkins for the invitation here.
SMILE and WAVE selected to international competition at AFO 58 in Tsjekkia
THE INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF SCIENCE DOCUMENTARY FILMS
The international festival of science documentary films has been organised by Palacký University, Olomouc since 1966. In the course of the years, the small-scale private meeting has transformed into one of the biggest scientific events in Europe.
Programme of the festival focuses on progressive factual films and documentary films, discussions and lectures exploring various hot topics. From research of distant planets, Earth’s oceans and global warming through the development of robotics and artificial intelligence all the way to the position of women in science and society or life online and addictions.
A beautiful festival to attend. So many interesting films, a professional team organizing and really caring hosts.
SMILE and WAVE was received with much warmth and interest. Filmmakers got inspired to make different films and the audience were touched.
"SMILE and WAVE" was shown on Thursday and Saturday and Sunday in a "best of" compilation.
Olomouc is a very old city, called "Ltttle Prag". Charming streets, really old buildings, and sculptures presented on the Unesco-list. A peaceful place to visit.
SMILE and WAVE won the award for best documentary!
Here is the Jury statement:
In 57 minutes Eva Charlotte Nilsen made a film which was both personal and universal. Using the Norwegian sea and seashore as her canvas, she dives into a personal journey, mystical and sometimes bleak about loss and love. Blending archival material from childhood with outstanding images of Norwegian landscape, Nilsen creates a film of harshness and beauty. A poem.
It was Ellen Jørgensen from the Norwegian Embassy in Paris
who received the prize on behalf of Eva and Norway.
The prize itself is a howling wolf.
After the award ceremony: Ellen Jørgensen (left), Ellinor Jensen, Irena Bilic, Knut Erik Jensen og May Beate Jensen.
The Festival Europe around Europe
The festival l'Europe autour de l'Europe is an annual festival based in Paris where, for two weeks the festival presents films from Greater Europe (47 European countries, members of the Council of Europe). A selection of about 100 films – features, documentaries as well as short, animation and experimental movies is presented in legendary theatres of Paris and Île-de-France region, The festival network is completed by foreign cultural centres and other exceptional venues where viewers can discover old and contemporary European film masterpieces.
The Festival presents film directors, writers, actors, producers and film critics from all European countries with aim to promote European culture in all its diversity and complexity, to stimulate reflection about singularity of the European identity and to strengthen European audiovisual network.
Eva participates in the festival with SMILE and WAVE. Here with Ivanka Myers on the left, Festival coordinator, and Irena Bilic on the right, the Festival's founder.
«Under the sky of Paris» - in march 2023 it smelled terrible because of strikes and demonstrations
PRICEWINNER
SMILE and WAVE won the award for Best documentary medium length at the Norwegian Documentary Festival Nordic/Docs in Fredrikstad.
Eva Ch. Nilsen was Guest of Honor during the festival and several of her films were shown in a retrospective program.
Eva also got the NORDIC/DOCS HONORARY AWARD 2022
It was also a great experience for her to meet Ken Loach who held a Masterclass at the festival.
Busy autumn for SMILE and WAVE
The film was invited to 3 Norwegian festivals this autumn.
AMIFF - Arctic Moving Image & Film Festival a festival on art and film in Harstad.
Later in October, SMILE and WAVE were shown for 4 days at the Bodø Film Festival.
Smile and Wave goes to the top of the world, North Cape.
SMILE and WAVE received a brilliant reception at Norway's most delightful film festival. It touched the audience and gave room for many fine conversations afterwards. But the hunt for heart urchins on the beach at Honningsvåg Airport yielded no results. The conditions are perhaps too harsh even for brave heart urchins so far north.
Eva searches for heart urchins
SMILE and WAVE goes to Leipzig
The essay film SMILE and WAVE is selected to participate in the DOK Film Market in Leipzig 17-23 October. We look forward to meeting professional buyers and contributors from all parts of the documentary scene.
Eva Ch. Nilsen will attend the market to promote her film about small things and large questions, about presence and absence, about sensing and memory, about joy and loss.
