Historical: Norwegian Feature Film in the Main Competition at the Venice Film Festival

For the first time in 38 years, a Norwegian feature film has been invited to the main competition in what is the world's oldest film festival and one of the three most prestigious film festivals in the world, along with Cannes and Berlin.

World-Class Director and Screenwriter

-Dag Johan Haugerud has shown with his stylish films that he is a screenwriter and director with international appeal. When his upcoming film Love is now invited to the main competition of the prestigious Venice Film Festival, he elevates himself even further. We are very proud and impressed by this historic invitation and the possibility that for Love to win the Golden Lion, says managing director of the Norwegian Film Institute, Kjersti Mo
 
The last time a Norwegian feature film was invited to the main competition at the Venice Film Festival was back in 1986 when Oddvar Einarson's film X was shown. It also received the jury's special prize.

Summery Oslo as a Backdrop

For director and screenwriter Dag Johan Haugerud, this will be a return to Venice after presenting his feature film Beware of Children in Giornate degli Autori in 2019.
 
"I am very pleased to have the opportunity to present Love to an international audience at the Venice Film Festival. Love is a romantic film about various forms of love, care, responsibility, and sexuality—all set against a summery Oslo backdrop. Since a large part of the story takes place on the Oslo fjord, between the Town Hall pier and the peninsula Nesodden, it feels like the film has an atmosphere and character that can suit Venice. At least, I hope so," says Dag Johan Haugerud.

Happy and Proud to Return

"After receiving a fantastic reception for Beware of Children in Venice five years ago at the Giornate degli Autori, we are very happy and proud to be returning. And it is especially exciting that Love has been selected as the first Norwegian film in the main competition in Venice in 38 years.
 
Dag Johan’s previous film Sex has so far sold to about 25 countries after its premiere at the Berlinale earlier this year, and I believe Love will also appeal to a large audience worldwide. Hopefully, participation in Venice’s main competition will open even more doors for Dag Johan’s international career. We are greatly looking forward to taking over the Lido at the end of August," says producer Yngve Sæther at Motlys who produced the film along with Hege Hauff Hvattum.
 
Sæther and Haugerud have collaborated for many years and the participation in the main competition in Venice is a current international highlight for the duo.

About Love

Marianne (Andrea Bræin Hovig), a pragmatic doctor, and Tor (Tayo Citadella Jacobsen), a compassionate nurse, are both avoiding conventional relationships. One evening, after a blind date, Marianne encounters Tor on the ferry. Tor, who often spends his nights there seeking casual encounters with men, shares his experiences of spontaneous intimacy and meaningful conversations. Intrigued by his perspective, Marianne begins to question societal norms and explores whether such casual intimacy could also be an option for her. Love delves into the complexities of sex and love, challenging their boundaries and defying traditional expectations.
 
In May 2022, director Dag Johan Haugerud and Motlys received a total of NOK 19.1 million in production grants for the project Sex, Dreams and Love from the Norwegian Film Institute.
 
The first film in the trilogy, Sex, was shown in the Panorama program in Berlin in 2024 and received the Cinema Distribution Award, the Arthouse Cinema Award, and the prize from the Ecumenical Jury.
 
DRAMA 119 min DIRECTOR Dag Johan Haugerud SCRENPLAY Dag Johan Haugerud DoP Cecilie Semec ACTORS Andrea Bræin Hovig, Tayo Citadella Jacobsen, Marte Engebrigtsen, Thomas Gullestad, Lars Jacob Holm PRODUCERS Yngve Sæther og Hege Hauff Hvattum PRODUCTION COMPANY Motlys INTERNATIONAL SALES M-Appeal NORWEGIAN DISTRIBUTOR Arthaus NORWEGIAN RELEASE December 25, 2024

Three awards to Sex in Berlin

Three films from Dag Johan Haugerud

M-Appeal Acquires Worldwide Rights to Love and Dreams