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Nordic Film Club: House of Fools

The Nordic Embassies in Berlin will host another exciting movie evening

December 16th, 2014
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On Wednesday December 17th at 19:00, the Nordic Embassies, in collaboration with Kulturhus Berlin eV, will host another exciting Film Club event. The movie, ‘De Gales Hus’ (House of Fools) will be shown.

The movie that will be shown tackles the very difficult topic of mental illness, giving an insight into the dark reality of a young girl’s life. At the psychiatric clinic Varden in Norway, the attendants are mad and the inmates are sane. At the clinic you can find life in all its different faces. The story follows 24-year-old Aina who wanted to escape from everything and end her life. She is a troubled young woman with a fiery rebellious streak but a shaky will to live.

One evening, Aina’s self-destructive impulses come to a head and she tries to commit suicide by throwing herself through a plate glass window. She survives and finds herself committed to a mental hospital by her parents for treatment. Aina does not try to hide her anger and hatred towards the doctors and other patients whilst enduring group therapy sessions. Over time, however, Aina forms a strong bond with her therapist Dr. Freiner, a psychiatrist whose cynicism does not overpower his desire to help. She also finds herself drawn to Stetson, who is named after his hat and is a handsome therapist who works with horses. In the House of Fools Aina learns that sheer madness usually does make a lot of sense. Her lust for life is brought back through the closeness she develops to the insane people.

The movie was released in 2008 and is an adaptation of a 1999 novel, written by “Norwegian queen of crime” Karin Fossum. It is a comedy-drama from Norwegian filmmaker Eva Isaksen. It was nominated for the Amanda Awards in Norway for two awards; Best Supporting Actress and Best Production Design. It also received its United States premiere at the 2010 Cinequest Film Festival in San Jose, California. The Nordic Film Club is in collaboration with Kulturhus Berlin eV and Nordic Embassies, which usually occurs every second Wednesday. Nordic movies are shown in their original language with subtitles. The tickets for the event are between €3 to €5. Members of the Friends of the Kulturhus Berlin can enter for free.

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