Scandinavia House

SHUT UP /ORO JASKA
2025-11-22 13:30 - 15:30 (America/New_York) | Scandinavia House, 58 Park Avenue, New York, NY, 10016, United States
On November 22, Scandinavia House and the Consulate General of Norway present a special screening of the first two episodes of the International Emmy-nominated Sámi youth drama series Shut Up (Oro jaska). Series creators Silje Bürgin-Borch and Vegard Bjørsmo will be present with screenwriter Katherine Nedrejord for a panel after the screening.
Set in a small town in the heart of Sápmi, the cross-country region the Sámi people call home, Shut Up follows Elli Anne, a young Sámi woman whose intimate world collapses after a brutal rape. As she seeks justice within a tightly knit community bound by tradition and family loyalty, the narrative takes a gripping turn when Issat, a celebrated snow cross racer, is accused. The allegation not only threatens his reputation but forces him to confront his own closely guarded secret: that he is queer.
Praised as “powerful and timely,” Shut Up marks a historic first—it is the first Sámi TV drama of its kind to center social issues from within the community, told by Sámi voices. With a commitment to the guiding principle “Nothing about us without us,” the series was developed by a writers’ room composed entirely of young Sámi creatives, including queer voices. The series’ action is based on eight in-depth interviews conducted with Sámi women who have experienced abuse, and extensive research amongst Sámi who identify as queer.
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YALLA PARKOUR | NORDIC & BALTIC OSCAR CONTENDERS
2025-12-01 19:00 - 21:00 | Scandinavia House, 58 Park Avenue, New York, NY, 10016, United States
On December 1, Scandinavia House presents a special screening and film talk of a Swedish qualifier for Best Documentary Feature Film at the 98th Academy Awards: the tender, deeply affecting documentary Yalla Parkour, followed by a Q&A with director Areeb Zuaiter.
Yalla Parkour
Dir. Areeb Zuaiter | Sweden/Qatar/Saudi Arabia/Palestine, 2024
When she was four, the filmmaker Areeb Zuaiter travelled to Gaza and saw the sea for the first time. That moment – the magic of the sea and the smile on her Palestinian mother’s face – had a lasting impact. When she sees a video of young men doing parkour on Gaza’s sandy shores, her nostalgia for this distant home resurfaces. The joy of the young athletes stands in stark contrast to the distant echoes of explosions. Longing to reconnect with her past, Areeb gets in touch with the parkour team and befriends Ahmed. Together, they navigate what is left of Gaza, exploring a cemetery, a run-down shopping center, and the remains of an airport.
As their relationship deepens, Ahmed reveals the harsh realities of life in Gaza, transforming Areeb’s initial curiosity into a profound awareness of the struggles he faces. Areeb grapples with feelings of guilt and conflict as she witnesses Ahmedʼs desire to escape the confines of his homeland, understanding the emotional void such a departure would entail. Framed as a narrated letter from Zuaiter to her mother, Yalla Parkour becomes not only a quest to reclaim memories but also an exploration of identity, belonging, and the haunting legacy of a home left behind.
“An interesting, subtle and poetic watch… a testament to the human spirit’s ability to continue and find light, even against all odds.” (Ola Salwa, Cineuropa)
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SNIPPED | NORDIC & BALTIC OSCAR CONTENDERS
2025-12-04 18:00 - 19:00 | Scandinavia House, 58 Park Avenue, New York, NY, 10016, United States
On December 4, Scandinavia House presents a special screening and film talk of a Danish qualifier for Best Live-Action Short Film at the 98th Academy Awards: the sharp comedy Snipped, followed by a Q&A with director Alexander Saul and producer Rebecca Pruzan.
Snipped
Dir. Alexander Saul | Denmark, 2025 | 16 min
In Danish with English subtitles
“A darkly hilarious masterstroke with Oscar-Worthy comic timing”– A Jewish convert. A Muslim doctor. One holy snip and a whole lot of tension.
Hailed as “an absurdly poignant contender in the Oscar short film race,” the short follows Adam (Louis Bodnia Andersen)’s experience as a Jewish convert undergoing a ritual circumcision at a Muslim clinic in Copenhagen. Snipped explores the universal experience of coexistence through humor and shared rituals, with director Alexander Saul’s personal story and a unifying Muslim-Jewish score softening heavy themes into moments of laughter and trust.
Snipped‘s narrative unfolds in a cramped Danish clinic where a simple religious ceremony turns into an existential standoff. What begins as a sacred rite of passage quickly unravels into a study in discomfort, not just physical, but cultural, spiritual, and profoundly human. With a talented team including Oscar-nominated producer Rebecca Pruzan and Oscar-winning producer Kim Magnusson, the film already made a splash at this year’s HollyShorts Film Festival. Based on Saul’s own experience as a Jewish convert undergoing a ritual circumcision at a Muslim clinic, the film deftly navigates a minefield of cultural tension and bodily vulnerability, without ever losing its sense of humor.
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KON TIKI
2026-01-07 19:00 - 21:00 | Scandinavia House, 58 Park Avenue, New York, NY, 10016, United States
“Seaworthy, and then some” —on January 7, see Kon Tiki and help bring our Silver Anniversary Rescreens into 2026! Directed by Joachim Rønning and Espen Sandberg, this epic adventure film dramatizes Norwegian anthropologist Thor Heyerdahl’s real-life 1947 expedition across the Pacific on a balsawood raft.
Norway’s most expensive production to date, Kon Tiki (Norway, 2013) was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film at the 85th Academy Awards, and was screened here at Scandinavia House as a part of our Nordic Oscar Contenders in 2013. Now, for our 25th anniversary, we return to Heyerdahl’s (Pål Sverre Hagen) epic gambit to prove that South Americans had settled in the Polynesian islands, a theory that remains a matter of debate, and to retrace their steps using only the resources available to potential pre-Columbian settlers.
Though he himself cannot swim or sail, he sets out on the treacherous 4,300-nautical-mile journey across the Pacific from Peru to Polynesia aboard the small raft– the Kon Tiki, named after the Inca sun god –along with his crew of five men (and a macaw named Lorita). Kon Tiki takes us through the exploits of Heyerdahl and the embattled crew as they embark on their three-month sail equipped with only a radio– facing down tidal waves, sharks, and demons of the deep.
“A ravishingly photographed, old-fashioned man-against-the-elements epic propelled by human-scaled heroics.” (RogerEbert.com)
“A rousing and thoroughly enjoyable Old Hollywood-style adventure…” (NPR)
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This program has been supported by the Monika and Charles Heimbold Fund for Exhibitions and Programs.

SOLD OUT — SENTIMENTAL VALUE | NORDIC & BALTIC OSCAR CONTENDERS
2026-01-14 19:00 - 21:30 | Scandinavia House, 58 Park Avenue, New York, NY, 10016, United States
*This event is now sold out.*
On January 14, Scandinavia House presents a special screening featuring Norway’s official entry for Best International Feature Film at the 98th Academy Awards: the poignant drama Sentimental Value, followed by a filmmaker panel featuring director Joachim Trier!
Sentimental Value
Dir. Joachim Trier | Norway, 2025 | 134 min
In Norwegian with English subtitles
“The best film of the year” (Vogue) —Sisters Nora (Renate Reinsve) and Agnes (Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas) reunite with their estranged father, the charismatic Gustav (Stellan Skarsgård, in a remarkable performance), a once-renowned director who offers stage actress Nora a role in what he hopes will be his comeback film. When she declines, Gustav casts an up-and-coming young Hollywood star (Elle Fanning) instead, forcing the family to confront long-buried tensions as the striving outsider becomes entangled in their fraught dynamic.
With Sentimental Value, Danish-Norwegian auteur Joachim Trier follows his critically acclaimed The Worst Person in the World (2021) with a magnetic comedy-drama about legacy, art, and the performances that bind—and divide—families. Trier’s insightful and captivating adult drama, which won the Grand Prix at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, furthers the writer-director’s piercing exploration of the frayed ties that bind us to one another and to our creative selves.
“A transcendent, moving masterpiece” (IndieWire)
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A ROYAL AFFAIR | SILVER ANNIVERSARY RESCREENS
2026-02-04 19:00 - 21:00 | Scandinavia House, 58 Park Avenue, New York, NY, 10016, United States
“Quietly magnificent” —on February 4, see A Royal Affair to continue our Silver Anniversary Rescreens! First screened at Scandinavia House in 2013 and nominated for an Academy Award that same year, this period drama chronicles the scandalous love triangle between an 18th-century Queen (Alicia Vikander), her German doctor (Mads Mikkelsen), and the mad King of Denmark.
As the halls of the European aristocracy struggle with the birth pangs of the Enlightenment, young Catherine Matilda of Britain feels adrift after her marriage to Denmark’s mad King, the erratic and unfaithful Christian VII. Johann Friedrich Struensee, a town physician and closet radical, accompanies the King on a year-long trip around Europe in the hope of treating his insanity, but finds himself drawn ever closer to the headstrong Catherine– and the prospect of using the King’s condition to amass power. Drawn together in the pursuit of freedom for their people, their high-flown idealism is undone by blind passion in this notorious true story of illicit love and political intrigue.
“A gripping chapter of European history is recounted with elegance, intelligence and clarity…” (The Hollywood Reporter)
“A slam dunk in the genre, satisfying every period piece craving.” (Mary Pole, Time)
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This program has been supported by the Monika and Charles Heimbold Fund for Exhibitions and Programs.

OPENING NIGHT | THE 2026 SÁMI FILM FESTIVAL
2026-02-05 19:00 - 21:00 | Scandinavia House, 58 Park Avenue, New York, NY, 10016, United States
The Annual Sámi Film Festival returns to Scandinavia House and virtually nationwide! Now in its 8th year, the festival celebrates the rich storytelling traditions of the Sámi, an Indigenous people of the northernmost parts of Finland, Norway, Sweden, and the Kola Peninsula of Russia. This year’s program is curated by acclaimed director, writer, artist, and composer Elle Márjá Eira, whose work in mediums from TV to classical opera has captivated audiences across the globe, and whose directorial debut Stolen reached the Top 10 list in 71 countries following its Netflix premiere in 2024.
OPENING NIGHT FILMS
In My Hand (2025)
Dir. Liselotte Wajstedt & Marja Helander | 24 min.
Labelled a terrorist and left disabled, a Sámi activist paid a brutal price in 1982 while battling Norwegian authorities to protect his ancestral land. Masterfully blending archival footage and re-enactments, In My Hand retraces his battle and legacy, and challenges us to ask: Is it finally time to stop exploiting nature and start preserving it? Narrated by Niillas Somby, the film navigates between imprisonment, protests, and surreal encounters, providing a unique insight into one man’s journey of resistance, exile, and return.
Máhccan /Homecoming (2023)
Dir. Suvi West & Anssi Kömi | 76 min.
As museums worldwide are increasingly pressured to return cultural property, co-directors Suvi West and Anssi Kömi share a personal and insightful story about the return of Sámi artifacts, long held in a museum, to their homeland. Set at a turning point in which museums must grapple with their colonialist history—including the National Museum of Finland, which has now returned thousands of everyday objects to the Sámi—this “keenly observed film” (POV Magazine) tours museum vaults across Europe, where filmmaker unravels layers of history, grappling with questions of representation, exploitation and the intricate tapestry of her own cultural identity.
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DAY TWO | THE 2026 SÁMI FILM FESTIVAL
2026-02-06 19:00 - 21:30 | Scandinavia House, 58 Park Avenue, New York, NY, 10016, United States
The Annual Sámi Film Festival returns to Scandinavia House and virtually nationwide! Now in its 8th year, the festival celebrates the rich storytelling traditions of the Sámi, an Indigenous people of the northernmost parts of Finland, Norway, Sweden, and the Kola Peninsula of Russia. This year’s program is curated by acclaimed director, writer, artist, and composer Elle Márjá Eira, whose work in mediums from TV to classical opera has captivated audiences across the globe, and whose directorial debut Stolen reached the Top 10 list in 71 countries following its Netflix premiere in 2024.
SCHEDULE — DAY 2
Stöld / Stolen (2024)
Dir. Elle Márjá Eira | 107 min.
Based on the novel by Ann-Helén Laestadius, Stolen follows the Sámi peoples’ struggle to defend their Indigenous heritage, and the woman who puts her life at stake to bring them justice. Ten years after witnessing the slaughter of her beloved reindeer, a young Sámi woman is determined to track down the killer– and confront the other forms of quotidian violence her community faces along the way. A “tense, thoughtful dramatic thriller,” Stolen is part coming-of-age story, part love song to a vanishing natural world, and part electrifying countdown to a dramatic resolution.
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DAY THREE | THE 2026 SÁMI FILM FESTIVAL
2026-02-07 14:00 - 17:30 | Scandinavia House, 58 Park Avenue, New York, NY, 10016, United States
The Annual Sámi Film Festival returns to Scandinavia House and virtually nationwide! Now in its 8th year, the festival celebrates the rich storytelling traditions of the Sámi, an Indigenous people of the northernmost parts of Finland, Norway, Sweden, and the Kola Peninsula of Russia. This year’s program is curated by acclaimed director, writer, artist, and composer Elle Márjá Eira, whose work in mediums from TV to classical opera has captivated audiences across the globe, and whose directorial debut Stolen reached the Top 10 list in 71 countries following its Netflix premiere in 2024.
SCHEDULE — DAY 3
Oro Jaska / Shut Up (2025)
Dir. Silje Bürgin-Borch & Vegard Bjørsmo | 144 min.
Set in a remote town in the heart of Sápmi, Shut Up follows Elli Anne, a young Sámi woman whose intimate world collapses after a brutal assault. As she seeks justice within a tightly knit community bound by tradition and family loyalty, the narrative takes a gripping turn when Issat, a celebrated snow cross racer, is accused. The allegation not only threatens his reputation but forces him to confront his own closely guarded secret: that he is queer. Praised as “powerful and timely,” Shut Up marks a historic first—it is the first Sámi TV drama of its kind to center social issues from within the community, told by Sámi voices.
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SMOKE SAUNA SISTERHOOD
2026-02-11 19:00 - 21:00 | NY
Smoke Sauna Sisterhood, winner of the award for Best Documentary at the 2023 European Film Awards, returns to Scandinavia House on February 11 for National Sauna Week! Join us for director Anna Hints’ intimate delve into the cultural tradition of Vana-Võromaa’s smoke saunas in South Estonia (included in UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list) and see how they are unique spaces for healing and community. The film draws inspiration from the smoke saunas’ historical role in childbirth, where women gather to share secrets, connecting family and friends to cleanse the body and — more importantly — the soul, inside a place of peace and contemplation.
This documentary, which was the first Estonian film to win an award for directing at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival, captures the essence of the smoke sauna experience with masterful cinematography, evoking Vermeer and Rembrandt. Hints authentically portrays women, delving into themes of trauma, healing, and sisterhood. The film concludes with a runic verse, “Thank You Song for Smoke Sauna,” performed by director Anna Hints and producer Marianne Ostrat, expressing gratitude to the spirit of the smoke sauna, the women in the film, and all those who contributed to bringing Smoke Sauna Sisterhood to life. The film has been selected as Estonia’s contender for next year’s Academy Awards.
“This is a film that records a little-known aspect of a little-known national identity…the visual poetry is magnificent”—(Jonathan Romney, Financial Times)
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THE UGLY STEPSISTER | NORDIC & BALTIC OSCAR CONTENDERS
2026-02-18 19:00 - 21:00 | Scandinavia House, 58 Park Avenue, New York, NY, 10016, United States
On February 18, see Norwegian director Emilie Blichfeldt’s sinister reimagining of the Cinderella story, The Ugly Stepsister, a nominee for Best Makeup and Hairstyling at the 98th Academy Awards!
Elvira (Lea Myren) is preparing to earn the prince’s affection, at any cost. But in a kingdom where beauty is a brutal business, Elvira must compete with the beautiful and enchanting Agnes (Thea Sofie Loch Næss) to become the belle of the ball. The Ugly Stepsister is a chilling, visually stunning exploration of beauty, worth, and the societal systems that shape women’s lives (Norway, 2025).
“A fascinating exploration of beauty standards, and the way in which women are repeatedly placed into competition with one another” (THN).
“Emilie Blichfeldt blends the more brutal folktale elements with phantasmatic longing” (Sight & Sound).

SENTIMENTAL VALUE | LUX AUDIENCE AWARDS 2026
2026-02-20 19:00 - 21:30 | Scandinavia House, 58 Park Avenue, New York, NY, 10016, United States
See five of the shortlisted finalists for this year’s LUX Audience Awards this season at Scandinavia House! On February 20, we’ll be (re)screening Joachim Trier’s poignant drama Sentimental Value.
“The best film of the year” (Vogue) —Sisters Nora (Renate Reinsve) and Agnes (Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas) reunite with their estranged father, the charismatic Gustav (Stellan Skarsgård, in a remarkable performance), a once-renowned director who offers stage actress Nora a role in what he hopes will be his comeback film. When she declines, Gustav casts an up-and-coming young Hollywood star (Elle Fanning) instead, forcing the family to confront long-buried tensions as the striving outsider becomes entangled in their fraught dynamic.
With Sentimental Value, Danish-Norwegian auteur Joachim Trier follows his critically acclaimed The Worst Person in the World (2021) with a magnetic comedy-drama about legacy, art, and the performances that bind—and divide—families. Trier’s insightful and captivating adult drama, which won the Grand Prix at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, furthers the writer-director’s piercing exploration of the frayed ties that bind us to one another and to our creative selves.
“A transcendent, moving masterpiece” (IndieWire)
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This event has been organized by the European Parliament in partnership with Scandinavia House. The LUX Audience Award is a joint initiative of the European Parliament and the European Film Academy in collaboration with the European Commission and Europa Cinemas. It is the largest audience award worldwide and the only film prize in the world where citizens together with Members of the European Parliament -with each group weighting 50% -can decide who the winner will be by rating the nominated films online. The LUX Audience Award fosters dialogue and engagement between politics and the public through the medium of film. The nominated films address European values and raise awareness about some of today’s main social and political issues such as mental health, poverty, climate change, freedom of expression, gender equality, LGBTIQ+ rights.

FLOWERS BEYOND THE DARK
2026-02-24 18:30 - 20:30 | Scandinavia House, 58 Park Avenue, New York, NY, 10016, United States
“An artful exploration of the human side of war” — To honor the solemn anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24, join us for a special screening of Flowers Beyond the Dark, a documentary offering three powerful perspectives on life in the Kyiv region following its de-occupation in 2022. Winner of the Best International Feature Film Award at the Carmel International Film Festival, the film is a raw eyewitness account of people maintaining the spirit of resistance despite facing the horrors of occupation in their daily lives — whether in church, at home, behind the artist’s canvas, or in armored vehicles.
Amid the chaos of Russia’s invasion, Natalia and Serhiy, an artist couple separated by occupation, quickly lose any contact. They feel paralyzed, drowning in helplessness and uncertainty. At the same time, the soldiers of the 72nd brigade of the Armed Forces, Vitaliy and Serhiy, build unity and find courage guarding “the road of life,” a planned evacuation route for civilians. Priest Andriy Halavin is tending to the region’s first mass burials on the territory of his church. Almost daily, he welcomes international delegations to share evidence of Russia’s atrocities, while continuing to be the source of healing for locals who survived the occupation.
This event has been organized by the Consulate General of Ukraine in partnership with Scandinavia House.
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IT WAS JUST AN ACCIDENT | LUX AUDIENCE AWARDS 2026
2026-02-27 19:00 - 21:00 | Scandinavia House, 58 Park Avenue, New York, NY, 10016, United States
“A blast of pure anti-authoritarian rage” — See five of the shortlisted finalists for this year’s LUX Audience Awards this season at Scandinavia House! On February 27 we’ll be screening It Was Just An Accident, a bristling, raw political thriller by Azeri director Jafar Panahi. Praised by Rolling Stone as “one of the most deceptively profound movies of the year,” It Was Just An Accident reaffirms Panahi’s status as one of this century’s great cinematic heroes in perhaps his bravest film yet, a tale of revenge and impossible choice that won him the Palme d’Or at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival.
Vahid, an unassuming mechanic, is suddenly reminded of his time in an Iranian prison when he has a chance encounter with Eghbal, a man he strongly suspects to be his sadistic jailhouse captor. Panicked, Vahid gathers several former prisoners, all abused by that same captor, to try and confirm Eghbal’s identity. Master filmmaker Panahi creates a deeply felt moral thriller, where high stakes tension combines with unexpected flurries of humor and thoughtful, sometimes devastating questions regarding persecution and revenge versus compassion and understanding. France’s official selection for Best International Feature at the 2026 Academy Awards.
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This event has been organized by the European Parliament in partnership with Scandinavia House. The LUX Audience Award is a joint initiative of the European Parliament and the European Film Academy in collaboration with the European Commission and Europa Cinemas. It is the largest audience award worldwide and the only film prize in the world where citizens together with Members of the European Parliament -with each group weighting 50% -can decide who the winner will be by rating the nominated films online. The LUX Audience Award fosters dialogue and engagement between politics and the public through the medium of film. The nominated films address European values and raise awareness about some of today’s main social and political issues such as mental health, poverty, climate change, freedom of expression, gender equality, LGBTIQ+ rights.

THE ACTIVIST
2026-03-03 19:00 - 21:00 | Scandinavia House, 58 Park Avenue, New York, NY, 10016, United States
“A multifaceted and inventive crime thriller” – On March 3, see The Activist, the electrifying queer noir that’s already generated buzz across Baltic cinemas! Director Romas Zabarauskas will be present for a film talk and Q&A following the screening.
A masked intruder murders Deividas, Lithuania’s most influential human rights activist, just as the urban center Kaunas prepares for its first LGBTQ+ march. Only hours earlier, Deividas had clashed with his secret lover, Andrius, who is too afraid to come out or publicly support the fragile community. Consumed by grief and guilt, Andrius launches his own covert investigation, soon discovering that Deividas was surrounded by two-faced enemies. As the police stall and threaten to revoke the Pride march permit, the city seethes with hatred and fear. A ruthless neo-Nazi gang poses as the self-proclaimed defenders of civilization. With nothing left to lose, Andrius dares to play with fire: assuming a new identity as an idealist working at a printing house, he infiltrates the gang to uncover a disturbing truth.
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GIRL PICTURE | SILVER ANNIVERSARY RESCREENS
2026-03-04 19:00 - 21:00 | Scandinavia House, 58 Park Avenue, New York, NY, 10016, United States
On February 4, see Girl Picture to continue our Silver Anniversary Rescreens! First screened at Scandinavia House in 2022 as a part of our Nordic & Baltic Oscar Contenders, this tender coming-of-age film follows three young women as they try to defy the persistent winter darkness in Finland while navigating their adolescent dreams, reality, friendships, and relationships.
In this dramedy from the director of Force of Habit and Love & Fury, best friends Mimmi and Rönkkö have each other’s backs, always, aspiring for adventurous lives filled with experiences and passion. Emma, on the contrary, has given her whole life to figure skating — nothing gets between her and success. But when the girls meet, life opens new paths that send them rocketing in new directions. While Mimmi and Emma find themselves experiencing the earth-moving effects of true love, Rönkkö is on a quest to find pleasure. As new bonds form and others are tested over the course of three successive Fridays, the girls must navigate the complex paths of teenage desire.
“Haapasalo clearly understands that, when you’re young, desire can feel confusing or gratifying, thrilling or overwhelming…an affecting achievement that never feels less than loving”—The Film Stage
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This program has been supported by the Monika and Charles Heimbold Fund for Exhibitions and Programs.

RED CODE BLUE | SCREENING + FILM TALK
2026-03-05 18:30 - 21:30 | Scandinavia House, 58 Park Avenue, New York, NY, 10016, United States
“A gripping Latvian crime epic” – on March 5, see Red Code Blue, director Oskars Rupenheits’s masterfully produced crime drama that accurately rewinds time to the Baltic region’s unsafe, frenzied, and uncertain 1990s. Under Rupenheits’ raw direction, intense chases, interrogations, and shootouts unfold among rival gangs, reckless punks, corrupt operatives, and ruthless policemen in lawless, chaotic Riga. A Q&A with producer Sintija Andersone, cinematographer Juris Pīlēns, and location manager Amanda Rēvalde will follow the screening.
A young, idealistic investigator, Romāns Skulte (Raitis Stūrmanis), struggles to find his footing in the cruel, callous labyrinth of newly independent Latvia from his very first shift. Drug traffickers and violent gangsters control the bleak streets under the invisible protection of high-ranking officers. Rookie cadets quickly learn they can trust no one, not even their closest friends, as traitors and informants lurk everywhere. Cunning Georgian smugglers are deeply embedded in a fearful society, while the aggressive Armenian mafia– headed by the mysterious crime lord known only as “The Armenian” (Robers Kosojans) –enters the scene without hesitation. Romāns must navigate this harsh world while trying to salvage his moral compass, coming to realize virtues like honesty and loyalty are punished in cold blood.
A hit at the 29th Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival, Red Code Blue is a slow-burning police thriller packed with suspenseful heists, double-crosses, blackmail, bribery, and relentless pursuit.
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LIONESS
2026-03-11 19:00 - 21:00 | Scandinavia House, 58 Park Avenue, New York, NY, 10016, United States
“An affecting, spiky melodrama” (Lou Thomas, BFI) – on March 11, see Lioness, Estonian director Liina Triškina-Vanhatalo’s powerful psychological thriller exploring strength, family, and the courage (or madness) it takes to protect those we love.
Helena (Katariina Unt) is a steely paramedic in Tallinn known for her calmness and ability to handle crises. Off the clock, though, she struggles to connect emotionally with her volatile teenage daughter Stefi (Teele Piibemann), who has become rebellious and self-destructive. In a disastrous downward spiral, she skips school and finds herself wrapped up in a violent youth gang under the thrall of the charismatic Mariann (Elina Masing). One day, she disappears completely and her mother spends countless hours scouring the entire city for her. But when she learns that Stefi has ended up in the hospital after an overdose, a desperate and drastic plan forms in Helena’s mind to get her daughter back on her feet.
Picking up the Special Jury Award at last year’s Warsaw International Film Festival, Lioness delves into the collapsing boundary between Helena’s desperate imagination and Stefi’s reality, forcing them both to confront the blurred line between love, control, and delusion.
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MOTHER OF SNOW CRANES
2026-03-18 19:00 - 21:00 | Scandinavia House, 58 Park Avenue, New York, NY, 10016, United States
On March 18, see Mother of Snow Cranes, Finnish director Iiris Härmä’s stirring documentary following a strong, adventurous ornithologist whose journey from love to tragedy to revolution earned her the title “The Mother of Snow Cranes.” Director and producer Iiris Härmä and cinematographer Visa Koiso-Kanttila will be present for a film talk following the screening.
“Ellen, why are you staying here?” Iiris Härmä’s film begins with this question before following the remarkable life of Ellen Vuosalo (1931–2025), who was born in Toronto to Finnish immigrants, studied zoology in the United States, and married an Iranian man. Ellen’s situation changed drastically after she decided to travel to Iran to seek custody of her children following her divorce. What started as a personal journey brought her to the wetlands of northern Iran where she stayed for five decades, dedicating her life to studying and protecting the last flocks of the critically endangered Siberian crane.
This heartfelt and inspiring documentary captures a lifetime of conservation, blending scientific research with community involvement and challenging cultural and gender norms along the way. It’s a gentle portrait of one woman’s unwavering commitment to wildlife and a reflection on resilience, belonging, and connections across nature, humanity, and cultural borders.
Photos: Visa Koiso-Kanttila
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FACING WAR | NEW NORDIC CINEMA
2026-03-25 19:00 - 21:00 | Scandinavia House, 58 Park Avenue, New York, NY, 10016, United States
“Gripping…with remarkable access”—On March 25, Scandinavia House presents a special screening of the harrowing political documentary Facing War!
With a unique inside look at NATO’s leadership at the brink of geopolitical crisis, Facing War follows the day-to-day tenure of Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg as he nears retirement. As Russia’s war in Ukraine rages on, then U.S. President Joe Biden persuades Stoltenberg to extend his tenure as NATO Secretary General for one final year. During a visit to Kyiv, Stoltenberg vows that the Alliance will stand by Ukraine “for as long as it takes.” But as Western support falters and divisions among allies deepen, this promise is increasingly at risk. With NATO decisions requiring unanimous approval, Stoltenberg must navigate conflicts and rally member nations behind him.
With unprecedented access to NATO’s inner sanctum, Facing War takes viewers inside the high-stakes power struggles between global leaders like Biden, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. The film chronicles the delicate art of diplomacy in a time when safety and democracy are at stake, asking the question on everyone’s mind: can Stoltenberg keep his promise?
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MIDTOWN CULTURAL ALLIANCE OPEN HOUSE
2026-03-26 - 2026-04-05 | Scandinavia House, 58 Park Avenue, New York, NY, 10016, United States
Inaugurated in September 2025, the Midtown Cultural Alliance (MCA) is a presenters’ union founded by Japan Society, The Korea Society, Korean Cultural Center, L’Alliance New York, and Scandinavia House to highlight Midtown NYC as a global cultural destination.
Following the successful launch of the inaugural Open House events in September 2025, MCA’s second cross-organizational Open House beginning March 26 will offer both free and paid programming spread across all five partner organizations!
Upon attendance to any one event at any of the five organizations during this Open House, a participant will receive a special “passport” and collect a stamp. Once collecting three stamps on their passport, a participant may then redeem a free gift from up to three different organizations of their choice.
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THE GOOD TRAITOR
2026-03-26 19:00 - 21:00 | NY
On March 26, Scandinavia House is proud to present the 2020 film The Good Traitor (Vores mand I Amerika)!
April 9, 1940: Denmark is invaded by Nazi Germany with demands for immediate and unconditional surrender. The government surrenders after a few hours and begins cooperating with the Nazis. On the other side of the Atlantic is Denmark’s ambassador to the United States of America, a daredevil and a man of the world — Henrik Kauffmann, who is willing to put everything on the line. He refuses to follow the German directives and engineers a rebellious plan to defeat Hitler and give the Danish people their freedom back.
Based on a true story and starring Ulrich Thomsen, Burn Gorman, and Zoë Tapper, The Good Traitor explores the actions of Ambassador Kauffmann’s unsung heroism in WWII history.
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DEAF (SORDA) | LUX AUDIENCE AWARDS 2026
2026-03-27 19:00 - 21:00 | Scandinavia House, 58 Park Avenue, New York, NY, 10016, United States
See five of the shortlisted finalists for this year’s LUX Audience Awards this season at Scandinavia House! On March 27 we’ll be screening Deaf (Sorda), a “beautifully nuanced” debut by Spanish director Eva Libertad. Winner of the International Confederation of Arthouse Cinemas and the coveted Audience Award at the Panorama Section of the Berlinale, Sorda offers a personal, vital, and profoundly moving look into the complexity and rarely explored relationship between the deaf and hearing worlds.
Ángela, a deaf woman, and Héctor, her hearing partner, are expecting a child. They are excited about the pregnancy, although they do not yet know whether the baby will be deaf or hearing. Despite both claiming they can handle whatever comes, their underlying concerns are evident. After a complicated and emotionally intense labor, Ángela gives birth to their daughter, but the pair will have to wait a couple of months to learn if the baby is hearing or not. Navigating this limbo, Héctor struggles to fully grasp the challenges Ángela is facing, while she must come to terms with raising a daughter who may not share her experience of the world. This journey forces both of them to question their roles as partners and parents, as Ángela grapples with her identity in a society that does not fully accept or understand her.
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This event has been organized by the European Parliament in partnership with Scandinavia House. The LUX Audience Award is a joint initiative of the European Parliament and the European Film Academy in collaboration with the European Commission and Europa Cinemas. It is the largest audience award worldwide and the only film prize in the world where citizens together with Members of the European Parliament -with each group weighting 50% -can decide who the winner will be by rating the nominated films online. The LUX Audience Award fosters dialogue and engagement between politics and the public through the medium of film. The nominated films address European values and raise awareness about some of today’s main social and political issues such as mental health, poverty, climate change, freedom of expression, gender equality, LGBTIQ+ rights.

WOMAN AT WAR | SILVER ANNIVERSARY RESCREENS
2026-04-01 19:00 - 21:00 | Scandinavia House, 58 Park Avenue, New York, NY, 10016, United States
“A thoughtful and dynamic blend of genres”—On April 1, see Woman at War to continue our Silver Anniversary Rescreens! First screened at Scandinavia House in 2020, this contemporary environmental fable follows one Icelandic woman’s stubborn efforts to be on the right side of history.
Behind the scenes of her quiet routine, the independent 50-year-old Halla leads a double life as a passionate environmental activist. Known to others only by her alias “The Woman of the Mountain,” Halla secretly wages a one-woman-war on the local aluminium industry. As Halla’s actions grow bolder, from petty vandalism to outright industrial sabotage, she succeeds in pausing the negotiations between the Icelandic government and the corporation building a new aluminium smelter in the mountains.
But right as she begins planning her biggest and boldest operation yet, she receives an unexpected letter that changes everything: her application to adopt a child has finally been accepted, and a little girl is waiting for her in Ukraine. As Halla prepares to abandon her role as saboteur and savior of the Highlands to fulfill her dream of becoming a mother, she decides to plot one final attack to deal the aluminium industry a crippling blow.
“Deftly centralizes a profound humanity…” (Variety)
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This program has been supported by the Monika and Charles Heimbold Fund for Exhibitions and Programs.

LONG GOOD THURSDAY
2026-04-08 19:00 - 21:00 | Scandinavia House, 58 Park Avenue, New York, NY, 10016, United States
“Heartwarming… a great accomplishment”—On April 8, see Long Good Thursday, Finnish director Mika Kaurismaki‘s fourth installment of the rollicking Grump film series!
Set in the lush days of a Finnish summer, Long Good Thursday is a gentle comedy of growing older and of accepting the never-ending possibility of finding joy. Finnish comedy star Heikki Kinnunen plays an aging, stubborn farmer intent on finishing his life in the home he shared with his late wife. Much to his surprise, he finds himself smitten with a free-spirited artist, called Saimi, who is intent on using him as a model for her photography.
His sons are skeptical– even jealous –of their father, and don’t trust Saimi’s intentions. Who knows, maybe she’s after his inheritance? Family meetings, misunderstandings, swimming in the moonlight, and sleepless nights show that the power of love can pierce through even the oldest of flannel shirts.
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SUDDEN OUTBURSTS OF EMOTIONS
2026-04-15 19:00 - 21:00 | Scandinavia House, 58 Park Avenue, New York, NY, 10016, United States
“An insightful, compassionate, and witty debut”—On April 8, see Sudden Outbursts of Emotions, a tender dramedy about the complexities of modern love and mid-life crises!
Travel agent Jane (Iina Kuustonen) lives a comfortable, stable yuppie existence in Helsinki with Mikki (Riku Nieminen), her theatre-actor boyfriend of 10 years. While their sex life appears active and content on the surface, Jane is thrown for a loop when Mikki suggests trying an “open relationship” to spice things up. Jane is initially resistant but eventually agrees to attend an exclusive sex-positive weekend retreat, where the 40-ish couple can explore other romantic pursuits. While Mikki wanders off, Jane bumps into Valma (Laura Malmivaara), a free-spirited woman and veteran of the polyamorous lifestyle, who encourages Jane to explore hidden facets of her love language. As their bond deepens, Jane finds herself navigating unfamiliar territory—desire, jealousy, and self-discovery—while her once-stable life begins to unravel. What began as an experiment in freedom becomes a profound turning point that challenges everything Jane thought she knew about relationships.
This debut feature from Finnish TV writer/director Paula Korva, could be called a “rom-dramedy” for its skillful depiction of the awkwardness, excitement, and befuddlement felt by newbies to the 3D chess game of polyamory. Korva treats her characters with grace and humor, allowing them room to evolve gradually in this modern spin on the joys and absurdities of gender-fluid dating.
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DREAMS
2026-04-29 19:00 - 21:00 | Scandinavia House, 58 Park Avenue, New York, NY, 10016, United States
“An intensely compelling story about first love”—On April 29th, see DREAMS, Norwegian director Dag Johan Haugerud’s third installment of the widely acclaimed Oslo Trilogy and winner of the Golden Bear at the 2025 Berlin International Film Festival!
17-year-old Johanne drifts and daydreams like any teenager, until one day her restlessness morphs into all-consuming passion for her charismatic French teacher, Johanna. From her vulnerable yet never maudlin inner monologue, to her frank confessions to her poet grandmother and over-curious mother, to nuanced scenes of intimacy with Johanna, Haugerud paints a complex, endearing, and intoxicating portrait of youthful infatuation and self-discovery, laced with the lightest touch of moral inquiry.
“It sweeps you up, assuredly and indeed dreamily… The film’s precise juxtapositions of sight and sound produce brilliant flashes of insight…and a cumulatively seductive, almost musical flow.” (Justin Chang, The New Yorker)
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THE SQUARE | SILVER ANNIVERSARY RESCREENS
2026-05-06 19:00 - 21:00 | Scandinavia House, 58 Park Avenue, New York, NY, 10016, United States
On May 6, see The Square to wrap up our series of Silver Anniversary Rescreens! First screened at Scandinavia House in 2018, this gripping sociological suspense story by director Ruben Östlund dives into the ethics of moral responsibility, privilege, and media sensationalism.

Christian is the respected curator of a contemporary art museum, a divorced but devoted father of two, who drives an electric car and supports good causes. His next exhibition, “The Square,” is an installation that invites passersby to altruistic deeds, reminding them of their role as responsible human beings. But sometimes it’s difficult to live up to your own ideas: When Christian’s phone is stolen, his foolish response drags him into a shameful situation. And when the museum’s PR agency creates an unexpected campaign for “The Square,” the overblown reaction from the public sends Christian, as well as the museum, into an existential crisis.

The Square was shortlisted for the 2017 Oscars as the Best Foreign Language Film nominee. It has received numerous distinctions since its premiere, including six awards at the European Film Awards, including Best European Film; and the Palme D’Or Winner at the Cannes Film Festival, 2017.
“Ruben Östlund’s sprawling and daringly surreal satire The Square turns a contemporary art museum into a city-state of bizarre, dysfunctional and Ballardian strangeness… It sets out to make your jaw drop. And it succeeds.” —Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian
“[Östlund] creates suspense in a new-fangled way, turning the space between people into an alarming existential battleground.” —Owen Gleiberman, Variety

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This program has been supported by the Monika and Charles Heimbold Fund for Exhibitions and Programs.

LOVE
2026-05-13 19:00 - 21:00 | Scandinavia House, 58 Park Avenue, New York, NY, 10016, United States
“Utterly enrapturing”—On April 29th, see LOVE, Norwegian director Dag Johan Haugerud’s first installment of the widely acclaimed Oslo Trilogy!
An ambitious trilogy from Norwegian novelist/filmmaker Dag Johan Haugerud, LOVE–SEX–DREAMS are three distinct feature films linked by their themes of nontraditional intimacy, but need not be seen in any particular order. LOVE focuses on two colleagues at an Oslo hospital — Marianne, a straight (and straitlaced) doctor, and Tor, a gay male nurse. Both single, they cross paths by chance after hours and confide in each other: Marianne confesses her desire to be more adventurous and open in her encounters with men; Tor shares his fatigue with Grindr hook-ups. Their conversations form the heart of exploration of desire and emotional fulfillment.
“Dag Johan Haugerud’s gently humanistic drama is one of those films that feels akin to a prism, refracting its theme into the array of colors it contains…it’s so beautiful that you want to just keep dwelling in its world.” (Alissa Wilkinson, The New York Times)
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SEX
2026-05-20 19:00 - 21:00 | Scandinavia House, 58 Park Avenue, New York, NY, 10016, United States
“A playful, insightful character study”—On May 20th, see SEX, Norwegian director Dag Johan Haugerud’s second installment of the widely acclaimed Oslo Trilogy!
An ambitious trilogy from Norwegian novelist/filmmaker Dag Johan Haugerud, LOVE–SEX–DREAMS are three distinct feature films linked by their themes of nontraditional intimacy, but need not be seen in any particular order. In SEX, two male-identified colleagues who are happily married to women share candidly their secrets: one reveals his unprecedented recent sexual encounter with another man; the other is haunted by a recurring dream featuring David Bowie and his own gender fluidity. Both men — shockingly yet with great sensitivity — seek transparency and understanding with their wives. SEX thus envisions honest, warm-hearted possibilities for gender expansiveness within heterosexual monogamy, while also enacting the intricacy of an authentic and generous love.
“Superbly acted. The film is laced with dry humor but also poignancy and notes of melancholy. [Turns] the male character study on its head with a gentle subversiveness.” (David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter)
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