In her mid-twenties, Fanny moves back to her hometown to attend the local University but struggles to bond with other students and reckon with her past. This short dramatic feature from Norway is a beautifully-made character study about a young woman at a vulnerable time. During student orientation week, Fanny has a hard time bonding with her peers — she’s older and jaded, and there are things in her past she can’t forget. After a traumatic experience at a ‘getting to know each other’ exercise, she tries to rekindle the bond with an old friend, but there’s complications there as well. Carried by an enthralling performance by Kristine Thorp, “Fanny,” unfolds at its own rhythm and accumulates profoundly. By the end, it feels like we’ve known her for a long time. Written and drected by Halfdan Ullmann Tøndel, it’s an emotional ride, riveting in its performances and scene-building, constructed with lovely visuals, and punctuated with vivid splashes of music.
Director and writer: Halfdan Ullmann Tøndel. Actors: Kristine Thorp, Helene Bergsholm, André Sørum. Producer: Andrea Berentsen Ottmar. Cinematographer: Øystein Mamen. Editor: Halfdan Ullmann Tøndel & Bendik Mondal.