Indie Film Series To Continue With ‘Hawaii, Oslo’

The independent film series will continue at C.H. Booth Library on Tuesday, December 12, at 7:30 pm, with a free screening of Hawaii, Oslo, a daring and original Norwegian film with English subtitles.

Hawaii, Oslo is the story of a handful of desperate people whose paths cross on the hottest day of the year in Oslo. Frode and Milla have their first child, but learn he will not live long without an expensive operation they cannot afford.

Bobbie-Pop is a faded singer who tries to commit suicide. Leon is an institutionalized mental patient, who hopes to keep a date set up ten years earlier with his teenage sweetheart for his birthday.

Leon’s brother, Trygve, gets a weekend leave from prison to be with Leon on his birthday, but plans on using the furlough to escape. Overseeing Leon and protecting him is his guardian angel Vidar, Leon’s best buddy at the institution, who sees things no one else can see, and who may be able to save everyone except himself.

After numerous Short Cuts and Magnolia wannabes, Hawaii, Oslo is fresh and invigorating. Characters are interesting, pace is fast without being forced, and the outcome is satisfactory (even if some developments are somewhat predictable). Lenser Ulf Brantas (a Swede who shot Lukas Moodysson’s first three features) has created a moody, if somewhat stylized image of Oslo by night.

Call the library at 426-4533 for additional information including titles of future films in the series.