MANILA – On May 17, experience the scariest part of Norwegian culture at Viking Screamfest, an open cinema.
Norwegians all over the world will celebrate the 200 years Bicentenary of the Norwegian constitution, also known as “the people’s constitution”. Since the best way to celebrate a people’s constitution is with a party for the people, the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Manila presents Viking Screamfest, a one-night open air film festival, hosted in partnership with Kanto Artist Run Space, supported by Vinyl on Vinyl, WabiSabi, B-side and The Collective.
As Norway celebrates its 200 years of independence, the Norwegian cultural roots dates from much earlier times.Living far from each other, surrounded by dark woods, tall mountains and deep fjords, Norwegians have partly entertained and partly scared each other with myths and folk tales about trolls and gnomes for thousands of years.
Even in our days, the creatures from Norwegian folk tales and folklore still exists in Norwegian culture, and Norwegians still like to scare each other. In fact, this is partly the source of the continuous production of Norwegian horror films, embracing the gloomy parts of the Norwegian history, fantasy and scenery.
These films are both nationally and internationally acclaimed and loved, and on the 17th of May, the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Manila wishes to offer a glimpse of this part of the Norwegian culture for those who dare.
To quote the author Strindberg August: “To fight with trolls, free princesses and kill werewolves, that is to live!”
The doors open on the 17th of May at 6 p.m., at The Collective, 7274 Malugay St., San Antonio Village, 1203 Makati City.
Entrance is free.
For those who get hungry there will be barbecue, Norwegian salmon and beer for sale.
As the location can room 200 persons at most, guests are encouraged to come early to catch the best seats.
Troll Hunter
Plot: When a group of students investigates a series of mysterious bear killings, they learn that there are much more dangerous things going on in the Norwegian mountains, after following a mysterious hunter. Gradually, the students learn that he is in fact a troll hunter, a man who works to keep trolls a secret and to kill any that come near populated areas. The problem is that the trolls are acting aggressively and have begun to leave their territories more often than usual. To determine why, the hunter and the students sets out to collect a sample of troll blood.
“Troll Hunter” (2010) is a Norwegian dark fantasy film, directed by André Øvredal, and made in the form of a “found footage” mockumentary. It has been nominated for many awards, including the BAFTA, and has won several of them.
Thale
Plot: Norwegian folklore turns out to be real when Leo and Elvis, who run a crime scene cleanup-business, encounter Thale in a basement. She appears as a tall, beautiful woman, but with a cow tale. For Leo and Elvis, a regular cleaning job turns into a struggle for survival, while they are trying to figure out who or what Thale is.
“Thale” (2012) is a Norwegian supernatural horror film directed and written by AleksanderL.Nordaas. The film has been sold to over 50 countries.
Cold Prey
Plot: A group of friends are on a snowboarding vacation in Jotunheimen, a mountain area in southern Norway. When one of them breaks his leg, the group is forced to seek shelter in an abandoned hotel, as the car is too far away for the them to reach within nightfall. However, as the friends quickly discovers, the abandoned hotel it not nearly as empty as it first appears.
“Cold Prey” (2006) is a Norwegian slasher film, directed by Roar Uthaug. Since it premiered in Norway in October 2006, the film has been shown at several film festivals, including San Francisco International Film Festival, Montreal World Film Festival and London FrightFest Film Festival.
