Aurora New Nordic Cinema: Female-Focused

Hard-partying Aurora dreams of escaping her rote life in Finnish Lapland for Norway, working as a nail technician while couch-crashing with a friend to save money. Meanwhile, Iranian refugee Darian is hoping to secure permanent residency for himself and daughter by marrying a Finnish woman. When a late-night encounter at a hot-dog stand one night finds them at their most desperate, Aurora and Darian strike-up a deal: in exchange for cash to fund her move to Norway, Aurora will help Darian to find a wife.

As the pair navigate through various potential candidates, Darian finds himself learning a thing or two about the strong outspoken women of Finland, while commitment-phobic Aurora begins to develop a connection with Darian’s daughter Azar. But when the perfect wife comes along, Aurora and Darian begin to realize that happiness may mean something different than they’d planned.

“Suffused with tenderness and melancholy”—Variety

“Aurora is a feel-good, starkly contrasted, romance about two people at their ends of life, looking for a new beginning.”—Film Threat

Miia Tervo (b. 1980) is an award-winning writer and director from Finnish Lapland. Her short films have been screened and awarded around the world. The Little Snow Animal (2010) was EFA-nominated, and Clumsy Little Acts of Tenderness (2015) was also screened around the globe from Palms Springs to Oberhausen.

Tervo’s other short films include Santra and the Talking Trees and The Seal. Aurora is her debut feature.

Kicking off in coordination with International Women’s Day in March, ASF highlights strong new Nordic cinema from female perspectives directed by women in Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden.

Britt-Marie Was Here /Britt-Marie var här—FRI—MAR 6
Aurora—FRI—MAR 13
That Time of the Year /Den tid på året—FRI—MAR 20
Gods of Molenbeek /Aatos ja amine—FRI—MARCH 27
Transnistra—FRI—APR 3
Agnes Joy—FRI—APR 17
Phoenix /Føniks—FRI—APR 24
Maria’s Paradise /Marian paratiisi—FRI—MAY 1
The Deposit /Tryggð—FRI—MAY 8
The Reformist — A Female Imam /Reformisten—FRI—MAY 15

From Scandinavia House.