Sentimental Value

Official selection

Family/ChildFilms about FilmsArt/Artist

Film director Gustav, who abandoned his family, proposes that his estranged daughter star in his new movie upon their reunion. However, Nora flatly refuses, burdened by distrust and resentment toward her father. The friction between a father whose glory days have passed and a daughter who has grown into a stage actress encapsulates a classic family drama theme: an aging father’s regret and a daughter’s love-hate relationship, compelled by blood ties she cannot fully reject. This drama of clashes and fractures unfolds in a cinematic style reminiscent of Ingmar Bergman, but, thankfully, does not spiral into ruin as in an August Strindberg play. Throughout the tension and resolution brought on by family discord, director Joachim Trier’s maturity shines in his unwavering focus on the characters’ inner worlds. Renate Reinsve, Trier’s muse who passionately sought love in The Worst Person in the World (2021), is here full of breath in overcoming her anxiety on stage. Another protagonist is the house itself, which vividly preserves the family’s joys and sorrows. This haven produces moments as luminous as the living room featured in Robert Zemeckis’s Here (2024).

Programme note by JUN Jonghyuk