GREENLAND: PAST, PRESENT & FUTURE | VIRTUAL PANEL
2025-04-02 12:00 - 13:15 (America/New_York) | NY
On Wednesday, April 2, ASF and Scandinavia House present a virtual panel discussion with panelists Ulrik Pram Gad (Senior Researcher on Arctic identity, diplomacy and security, the Danish Institute of International Studies) and journalist and historian Gordon F. Sander on the past, present and future of Greenland. With moderator Thorsten Wagner (Danish-German historian and Executive Director of FASPE), the panelists will discuss topics including Greenlandic history, current debates in relation to Denmark and global actors, the recent parliamentary elections, and their political implications.
Please note that this panel is now scheduled for 12 PM EDT.
This panel will take place via Zoom; advance registration recommended.
Register

HAMMARSKJÖLD - FIGHT FOR PEACE
2025-04-02 19:00 - 21:00 | Scandinavia House, 58 Park Avenue, New York, NY, 10016, United States
“A stylish historical lesson and an homage (ScreenAnarchy)” — Iconic actor Mikael Persbrandt (The Kingdom Exodus) stars in the gripping true story of the man John F. Kennedy once called “the greatest statesman of our century,” Dag Hammarskjöld.
New York City, 1961. At the peak of the Cold War, the charismatic diplomat and economist Dag Hammarskjöld has reached the pinnacle of his power, serving in his seventh year as Secretary-General of the United Nations. During the process of decolonization, he takes it upon himself to bring peace to the African countries, thwarting plans to further exploit resources of both powerful entrepreneurs and world leaders. Meanwhile, a visit from his old friend Peter turns his life upside down, and Dag begins questioning his unprecedented devotion and dedication to his job and vision. But when UN peacekeepers are killed in open battle in the Congo, the Secretary-General sees no other way than to impose peace by new measures, leading the UN troops on their first war mission. As he boards a a plane to negotiate a case-fire, Hammarskjöld is aware that enemies are plotting against him…
Based on historical facts and including the results of the most recent investigations, this political thriller puts one of mankind’s most respected diplomats into the limelight (dir. Per Fly, Sweden, 2023).
“A measured, respectful drama…there is a crisp elegance to the storytelling that seeks to match Hammarskjold’s personality” (Allan Hunter, Screendaily)

SOLD OUT — BIRCH BARK STAR-WEAVING WORKSHOP
2025-04-05 11:00 - 14:00 | Scandinavia House, 58 Park Avenue, New York, NY, 10016, United States
*This event is now sold out.* Workshops will continue throughout the run of Nordic Echoes; see a full list here.
Discover the beauty and versatility of birth bark in a Nordic Echoes workshop with artist Beth Homa Kraus! Through careful folding, a bit of string, and plenty of patience, we’ll craft stunning Northern-inspired star ornaments to hang or gift. Learn about the harvest and process of birch bark while creating timeless treasures in this hands-on class!
All materials and tools will be provided. Students will each leave with one birch bark star. Note: a beeswax and walnut-oil mixture is used to condition the bark; please be mindful if allergies apply. This workshop is for ages 16+ and is limited to 10 participants; please enroll early to guarantee attendance.

WORKING WITH WOOD | NORDIC ECHOES PANEL DISCUSSION
2025-04-05 15:00 - 16:00 | Scandinavia House, 58 Park Avenue, New York, NY, 10016, United States
In celebration of the Opening Weekend of Nordic Echoes — Tradition in Contemporary Art, the first major traveling exhibition of contemporary Nordic artist traditions from the Upper Midwest, join us for a panel discussion with four artists featured in the show: Kjetil “K.J.” Groven, Beth Kraus, Peter “Pekka” Olson, and Sonja Peterson. Folklorist Victoria Stewart (Assistant Director, Wayne State University Humanities Center) will moderate a conversation about their works in the show and their respective practices, with a particular emphasis on wood.

WATCH WOODCARVER PEKKA OLSON AT WORK!
2025-04-05 16:00 - 18:00 | Scandinavia House, 58 Park Avenue, New York, NY, 10016, United States
Come and watch Finnish-American woodcarver Pekka Olson as he brings a bird to life! Questions encouraged.

AURORA | ESTONIAN CULTURAL DAYS
2025-04-06 13:30 - 16:00 | Scandinavia House, 58 Park Avenue, New York, NY, 10016, United States
Celebrate Estonian Cultural Days on April 6 with a screening of the suspenseful new love story Aurora! Director Rain Tolk will be present for a film talk and Q&A following the screening.
Aurora (Maarja Johanna Mägi), the daughter of the religious leader Valdek, enters into a secret extramarital affair with Lenny (Jörgen Liik), which ultimately ends with a discovery that collapses her world. Years later, at a family wedding anniversary celebration with her husband Joonas, Aurora receives a message that rips open old wounds; which doesn’t go unnoticed by Joonas. As Aurora strives to present a celebration of family values, an unexpected visitor arrives. As secrets come to light, the seemingly harmonious family’s facade shows its cracks, and she must make a difficult decision.
Aurora shows love as a tragic chasm between uncontrollable explosion of desire and love as a earthly, self-conscious decision. (Dir. Rain Tolk & Andres Maimik, Estonia, 2025)

THE UGLY STEPSISTER | SCREENING & FILM TALK
2025-04-07 19:00 - 21:00 | Scandinavia House, 58 Park Avenue, New York, NY, 10016, United States
On April 7, see Norwegian director Emilie Blichfeldt’s sinister reimagining of the Cinderella story, The Ugly Stepsister! Emilie Blichfeld will be present for a film talk and Q&A following the screening.
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).

SUN CITY BY TOVE JANSSON | NORDIC BOOK CLUB ONLINE
2025-04-08 18:00 - 19:00 | NY
Read and discuss literature with our Nordic Book Club Online! On April 8, we’ll be discussing Sun City, an off-beat novel about a retirement community in sunny Florida, from Moomins creator and Finnish literary icon Tove Jansson.
In The Summer Book and The True Deceiver, as in her many short stories, Tove Jansson was drawn again and again to the everyday life of the aged. Not as a group apart but as full-blooded people with as many jealousies, urges, and joys as any other group. It’s no wonder that in her travels through America in the 1970s she became fascinated with what was then a particularly American institution, the retirement home, where older people live in their particular tightly knit worlds.
In Sun City, Jansson depicts these worlds in a group portrait of residents and employees at the Berkeley Arms in St. Petersburg, Florida. As the narrative moves from character to character, so the characters move through an America riven by cultural divides, facing the death of its dream. The Berkeley Arms’s newest resident finds a place among the rocking chairs and endless chatter on the veranda, while other residents long for past glories, mourning their losses and killing time. Meanwhile one of their attendants, Bounty Joe, is eagerly awaiting a letter, or even just a postcard, alerting him to the imminent return of Jesus Christ. “Nobody’s normal anymore,” as the bartender says, “not the old geezers and not the newborn kids.”
Register

THE MISSILE
2025-04-09 19:00 - 21:00 | Scandinavia House, 58 Park Avenue, New York, NY, 10016, United States
On April 9, see the Finnish absurdist dramedy The Missile in New Nordic Cinema!
Based on true events that took place in Finnish Lapland in the mid-1980s, The Missile (Ohjus; dir. Miia Tervo, Finland, 2024) stars Oona Airola as Niina, a single mother of two children and archivist for the local newspaper, who has recently escaped an abusive relationship. One day Niina hears an enormous bang from the sky — and the radio reports that the Soviet Union has shot a missile across the Finnish border to Inari. Soon the village is filled with foreign correspondents from around the world, but no one knows the area and its people as well as Niina. She is soon drawn into the investigation of the missile, and as the threat of nuclear war looms large, she meets a fighter pilot, Kai, who may know some of its secrets. As world audiences are captivated by the Finnish-Russian border incident, Niina must confront some boundary issues of her own.
“Pitches political satire against heartfelt comedy” (Variety)

STORMSKERRY MAJA
2025-04-16 19:00 - 21:00 | Scandinavia House, 58 Park Avenue, New York, NY, 10016, United States
See an epic, sweeping drama about a young couple’s survival on the remote island of Stormskär, Stormskerry Maja (dir. Tiina Lymi, Finland, 2024).
Based on the beloved books of Ålandic writer Anni Blomqvist, Stormskerry Maja stars Amanda Jansson as Maja, who at the age of 17 marries fisherman Janne (Linus Troedsson) and moves with him to a remote island. Here, her life is full of challenges and adversities: as a fisherman’s wife, she has to cope with her husband’s long absences at sea and take care of her family alone. As time passes, however, Maja grows into a strong-willed and independent woman, who is not afraid to tackle the barren archipelago. As Maja and Janne’s connection deepens across time, they face numerous challenges and upheavals, including the Åland War, along the way.
“An ample, epic, romantic and feminist drama… a beautiful mastery of time ellipses, a very touching portrait of a woman stronger than she thought she was and which easily resonates today” (Cineuropa).

EASTER PRIX-FIXE AT BJÖRK CAFE & BISTRO
2025-04-18 16:00 - 20:00, 2025-04-19 11:00 - 20:00, 2025-04-20 11:00 - 15:00 | Björk Cafe & Bistro at Scandinavia House, 58 Park Ave, New York, NY, 10016, United States
Celebrate Easter Nordic-style at Björk Café & Bistro! Prix-fixe specials throughout Easter weekend will be served on Friday, April 18 (4-8 PM), Saturday, April 19 (11-8 PM), & Sunday, April 20 (11 AM-3 PM); all prix-fixe guests are invited to take apart in Easter Egg painting and receive a surprise Easter Egg. Tickets are $70 ($59.50 ASF Members). Book now to guarantee seating!
Reservations

A FINNISH ARTIST IN NEW YORK: HUMAN ENCOUNTERS ACROSS CULTURES
2025-04-22 18:00 - 20:00 | Scandinavia House, 58 Park Avenue, New York, NY, 10016, United States
Join the Consulate General of Finland and Scandinavia House in cooperation with the Finnish & American Women’s Network, Inc. for an evening celebrating the work of award-winning Finnish photographer Jaakko Heikkilä.
In this artist talk, Jaakko Heikkilä will discuss his photographic process, which is rooted in meeting and getting to know people across cultures, from those of his youth in old fishing villages on the northern borders of Finland and Sweden, to the communities in Harlem in New York City, the subject of his recently published book, Sweet Song of Harlem (pub. Parvs, Finalnd.) Heikkila is also currently filming an autobiographical documentary, which is being produced by Swedish film director Bo Joan Sorensen of Brightnest Studios.
The talk will be followed by a reception. By participating you will automatically enter a rye bread raffle! We thank the Arctic Swan Bakery, and the Long Drink company for their sponsorship.

Register

THE TUNDRA WITHIN ME
2025-04-23 19:00 - 21:00 | Scandinavia House, 58 Park Avenue, New York, NY, 10016, United States
“[A] frank and honest confrontation with questions of heritage, authenticity, exploitation and identity”—on April 23, see The Tundra Within Me in New Nordic Cinema!
After living for many years in Oslo, Sámi artist Lena (Risten Anine Kvernmo Gaup) moves back to Sápmi in Northern Norway with her young son to explore Sámi gender in an art project. While researching in the wintry tundra, she falls in love with hardworking reindeer herder Máhtte (Nils Ailu Kemi). Lena is suffocated by the expectations of others in the town who view her as an outsider, and Máhtte’s mother, the matriarch of the family, disapproves of the relationship. As decisions from the past come to haunt her and her art is questioned, Lena struggles to find out whether her and Máhtte’s lifestyles can ever be compatible.
A sincere directorial debut from writer/director Sara Margrethe Oskal, a former reindeer herder, The Tundra Within Me is a poignant exploration of heritage, authenticity, resilience and identity.
“A beautifully-crafted story…refreshingly honest and empowering” (AWFJ)

THE RIOT
2025-04-30 19:00 - 21:00 | Scandinavia House, 58 Park Avenue, New York, NY, 10016, United States
Celebrate International Workers’ Day with The Riot, a historical action drama exploring the origins of the labor movement and workers’ rights in Norway, on April 30!
Directed by Academy Award-nominated director Nils Gaup (The Last King, 2016), The Riot tells the story of the struggle against oppression in the mining town of Sulitjelma, called Sulis, at the beginning of the 20th century. In this Wild West of the Nordic countries ruled by a mining company, slave labor and the brutality of capitalism run rampant, as workers struggle under inhuman conditions in the dark and dangerous mines. When 16-year-old Konrad arrives, his only goal is to return home to Sweden, having worked as a farmhand to support his widowed mother and sister. But as a ruthless new foreman named Wennström makes increasingly risky demands, Konrad must choose whether to stand with other suppressed workers to revolt against the mine.
A powerful film about the dream of a better life, the compromises and exploitation of capitalism, trust and the fight for justice, The Riot stars Otto Fahlgren (Beartown) and Simon J. Berger (Margrete – Queen of the North; Exit) in the true story of one of Norway’s most tumultuous, nation-defining events (Norway/Sweden, 2022).
“Vividly portrays how the relentless pursuit of wealth, power and prestige can erode basic human values and compassion” (Beat Magazine)

GULLAT, GULDALIT: TO HEAR, TO LISTEN AND TO ACT ACCORDINGLY
2025-05-01 19:00 - 20:30 | Scandinavia House, 58 Park Avenue, New York, NY, 10016, United States
Join professor of literature at the Sámi University in Norway, Harald Gaski, and American visual artist of Sámi descent, Tia Keobounpheng, for a conversation about Sámi values, views, and understandings through the lens of “Gullat, guldalit”—to hear, to listen and to act accordingly—in literary and visual art. This program is presented in coordination with Nordic Echoes: Tradition in Contemporary Art, the first major traveling exhibition of contemporary Nordic folk arts and cultural traditions from the Upper Midwest.

A FEW OF OUR FAVORITE THINGS
2025-05-01 19:30 - 21:00 | Scandinavia House, 58 Park Avenue, New York, NY, 10016, United States
Internationally acclaimed pianist Jeffrey Siegel returns this fall for his ever-popular Keyboard Conversations® series at Scandinavia House. Each evening comprises an informal commentary on the music and its composers, a full performance of each work, and a short Q & A session. The engaging format both makes friends of classical music and enriches the listening experience for avid music lovers.
Tonight’s program will consist of well-loved masterpieces by Grieg, Rachmaninoff, Debussy and Chopin!

Thanks to a generous loan by Victor Borge’s grandson Finn, concerts will be performed on Victor Borge’s personal Steinway piano.
Purchase Tickets

IT STARTS WITH CIRCLES
2025-05-03 11:00 - 14:00 | Scandinavia House, 58 Park Avenue, New York, NY, 10016, United States
Explore the world of geometry with artist, Tia Keobounpheng. In this workshop, you will learn more about the significant role geometry plays in Tia’s mixed-media artwork and move through the 4th grade geometry lesson (during pandemic distance learning) that changed the course of her career. With pencil, compass, and ruler you will build repeating geometric patterns of squares, triangles, and hexagons by first starting with circles. Play with color to complete and accentuate your own distinct pattern!

PUNISHED BY ANN-HELÉN LAESTADIUS | NORDIC BOOK CLUB ONLINE
2025-05-06 18:00 - 19:00 | NY
Read and discuss literature with our Nordic Book Club Online! On May 6, we’ll be discussing Punished, a searing new novel about loss, memory, cultural erasure and community by author Ann-Helén Laestadius!
From the internationally bestselling author of the “extraordinary” (Fredrik Backman) novel Stolen comes a harrowing story—inspired by true events—of five Indigenous children forced to attend a government-run boarding school in 1950s Sweden, revealing the emotional scars they carry 30 years later. In the 1950s near the Arctic Circle, seven-year-olds Jon-Ante, Else-Maj, Nilsa, Marge, and Anne-Risten are taken from their families. As children of Sámi reindeer herders, the Swedish state has mandated they attend a “nomad school” where they are forbidden to speak their native language. As the children visit home only sporadically, their parents know little about the abuse they face, much of it at the hands of the housemother, Rita. Those who dare to speak up are silenced.
Thirty years later, the five children have chosen different paths to cope with the past. Else-Maj holds strong in her Sámi identity but has turned to religion for comfort, while Anne-Risten now goes by Anne to hide her heritage from friends. Nilsa herds reindeer like his father but harbors a lot of anger, and Jon-Ante struggles with traumatic memories from the school. Then there’s Marge, who is about to adopt a daughter from Colombia, but can’t help questioning if it’s right to take a child from her homeland.
Suddenly, housemother Rita reappears. Now an old, frail woman claiming to have God on her side, she acts like nothing ever happened. But the five former students have neither forgotten nor forgiven her. As the narrative shifts between each of their perspectives, the novel asks: If you had the chance to punish the person who hurt you as a child, would you?
Register

MOTHER'S DAY PRIXE FIXE | BJÖRK CAFE & BISTRO
2025-05-11 11:00 - 16:00 | Björk Cafe & Bistro at Scandinavia House, 58 Park Ave, New York, NY, 10016, United States
Treat your mother to a culinary taste journey through Scandinavia this Mother’s Day with a prix-fixe celebration at Björk Cafe & Bistro at Scandinavia House! This five-course menu features dishes from each of the Nordic countries, including appetizers, entrees, a sparkling Nordic mimosa, and Princess Cake from Sweden. ASF Members receive a 15-percent discount.
MENU
Sparkling Nordic Mimosa
(Lingonberry, Elderflower or Black Current)
Chilled Green Pea Soup with Nettles & Smoked Trout Roe (Denmark)
West Coast Salad with Cold Water Shrimp & Creamy Dill Dressing (Norway)
Baked Turbot Filet with White Asparagus & Brown Butter Hollandaise (Finland)
Lamb Tenderloin with Roasted Spring Vegetables, mini Hasselback Potato & Lingonberry Sauce (Iceland)
Princess Cake (Sweden)
$85/pp ($72.25 ASF Members)
RESERVATIONS

ECHOES OF THE FJORDS: THE TIMELESS MUSIC OF THE HARDANGER FIDDLE
2025-05-13 19:00 - 21:00 | Scandinavia House, 58 Park Avenue, New York, NY, 10016, United States
Join us on May 13 for a showcase on the legendary Hardanger fiddle, featuring a concert and discussion with Karen Rebholz and Lucy Jacobs!
Hardanger fiddles originated in Norway in the 1600s and are richly ornamented with intricate carving, inlaid fittings and black line drawing. An ethereal resonance is created by sympathetic understrings. Traditional Hardanger fiddle music is played with asymmetric rhythms, multiple tunings, and nonstandard tones which have been preserved by means of an unbroken aural chain. In today’s program, Lucy Jacobus and Karen Rebholz will introduce you to the Hardanger fiddle and perform traditional tunes that were the musical accompaniment to life in the Norwegian countryside. These tunes mark important events in the lives of the people and serve as an aural repository of history and traditions unique to each valley.

THE KISS
2025-05-14 19:00 - 21:00 | Scandinavia House, 58 Park Avenue, New York, NY, 10016, United States
“A modern fairy tale”—on May 14, see award-winning director Bille August’s new film The Kiss (Kysset, Denmark, 2022) in New Nordic Cinema!
Set in Denmark in 1913, the story follows Anton (Esben Smed), a noble and conscientious young man, whose top priority is to complete his training as a cavalry officer. During a training session he orders his platoon to help Baron von Løvenskjold (Lars Mikkelsen) and finds himself invited to a ball at the castle, where he meets the Baron’s beautiful daughter, Edith (Clara Rosager), who uses a wheelchair following an accident. As Anton feels a growing compassion towards Edith, he struggles with identifying whether his feelings are of pity or true love. He soon becomes entangled in promises, lies and responsibility toward the Løvenskjold family and to Edith.
Based on Beware of Pity, the 1939 novel by Stefan Zweig, Bille August’s new film has been acclaimed as “a modern fairy tale about complicated love and impatient hearts” (Ekko).

DENIM REBORN | UPCYCLING WORKSHOP WITH REET AUS
2025-05-17 10:30 - 12:00 | Scandinavia House, 58 Park Avenue, New York, NY, 10016, United States
We warmly invite you to a creative, hands-on workshop with renowned sustainable fashion designer Reet Aus. Together, we will transform old jeans into unique accessories while exploring the importance of local upcycling and the pressing issue of textile waste in today’s fashion industry.
Please bring your worn-out jeans to personalize your project. All other materials and guidance will be provided.
Purchase Tickets

LEATHER WRISTBAND WORKSHOP | WITH KARLOTTA
2025-05-17 10:30 - 12:00 | Scandinavia House, 58 Park Avenue, New York, NY, 10016, United States
Join the Leather Bracelet Workshop with KARLOTTA and create your own leather bracelet, personalized with your initials. In this hands-on session, we’ll guide you through the leather crafting process and help you add your personal touch. Whether you’re a beginner or have some experience, you’ll leave with a bracelet that’s uniquely yours. It’s a great way to explore a new craft and make something special.
Purchase Tickets

NORWEGIAN CONSTITUTION DAY PRIX FIXE | BJÖRK CAFE & BISTRO
2025-05-17 11:00 - 20:00 | Björk Cafe & Bistro at Scandinavia House, 58 Park Ave, New York, NY, 10016, United States
Celebrate Syttende Mai, Norway’s Constitution Day, at Björk Cafe & Bistro at Scandinavia House! The prix-fixe menu features Norwegian specialties including fish and shellfish bisque, Norwegian smoked salmon or “Speke” ham with scrambled eggs, or shrimp salad with creamy yogurt dressing, as well as a fresh berry pavlova and a sparkling Nordic mimosa.
MENU
Sparkling Nordic Mimosa (Lingonberry, Elderflower or Black Currant)

Choice of:
Fish & Shellfish Bisque
or
Norwegian Smoked Salmon or “Speke” Ham with Scrambled Eggs
or
Shrimp Salad with Creamy Yogurt Dressing
Fresh Berry Pavlova

$55/pp
Note: Regular brunch menu will also be available alongside the prix-fixe.
RESERVATIONS

DESIGN EXHIBITION SHOWCASE
2025-05-17 15:00 - 18:00 | Scandinavia House, 58 Park Avenue, New York, NY, 10016, United States
The Design Exhibition Showcase will highlight and explore work from Baltic and Nordic designers, focusing on upcycling, recycling and sustainability. In coordination with Spring Design Showcase events at Scandinavia House throughout the day, including the workshop “Denim Reborn | Upcycling with Reet Aus” and “Leather Bracelet Workshop with KARLOTTA” in the morning, and a Panel Discussion at 2 PM that will touch on themes relating to the international sustainable fashion industry, visitors will have the opportunity to meet and speak with Nordic and Baltic designers working with recycling, sustainability and upcycling, and purchase select items on display.
ABOUT THE PARTICIPANTS
REET AUS is a PhD-qualified Estonian fashion designer and environmental activist, a natural rebel who founded REET AUS COLLECTION®. She is a pioneer in the field of industrial upcycling for fashion, and has developed the UPMADE® certification, in order to pass on her knowledge to brands and factories.
Founded by Mare Kelpman, KELPMAN TEXTILES produces high-quality fashion and interior accessories using durable, natural materials. Known for traditional European weaving techniques, the brand offers unisex, limited-edition pieces crafted from 100% wool, silk, and linen. Mare is a professor, international exhibitor, and award-winning textile artist.
HYTI is a line of soap holders by Estonian designer Anne-Liis Leht. Using soda-lime glass, which, until now, has never been reprocessed or recycled in Estonia, the soap holders are fabricated, in both clear and colored glass, putting this material back into circulation.
SILE LUIK by Sille Luiga produces The Two Cents jewelry collection, which is made from stretched copper coins. For each earring, a cent is heated up and passed between two revolving steel cylinders – like letting a train rollover it.
Originally from Tallinn and now based in Copenhagen, KRISTEL KUSLAPUU is a bold, irony-driven knitwear designer with a master’s in fashion design. Her work challenges convention while staying rooted in slow fashion and ethical production. Pieces are made in Europe or hand-knit by Kristel using natural, responsibly sourced yarns.
One of Estonia’s top jewelry designers, ANNELI TAMMIK creates elegant, nature-inspired pieces. Her collections—such as Snow, Ice, Four Seasons, and Kameeleon—have been worn by Evelin Ilves, Queen Silvia of Sweden, and Empress Michiko of Japan.
KARLOTTA by Estonian designer Eva-Karlotta Tatar presents its collection in which old leather garments were used to create new value in things otherwise considered waste. As an outer material, old leather jackets are used, generally considered post-consumer waste, and the inner lining is a production leftover from an ECCO shoe factory.
ASTA VILHELMINA GUÓMUNDSDOTTIR is an Icelandic artist and fashion designer. Inspired by nature and natural fibers, she uses materials she finds in her environment, such as seaweed, wool, horsehair, silk, soil and plant fibers. Her artworks and clothing are inspired by the ever-changing Icelandic nature.
FRANZ RAVER’s founder and fashion designer, Susanna Peters, has been passionate about designing clothes since childhood. She completed a degree in Resource Management in clothing and textile at Tallinn University of Technology, and a Master’s Degree in fashion design at the Estonian Academy of Arts. She has won various fashion contests: Denim Dream’s competition in 2015, Apollo’s uniform competition in 2019, and the special prize at the Antonius Fashion Show by Hartwall in 2022. She has also participated in several sustainability-promoting clothing design workshops, among them the Global Fashion Summit in 2019, the largest sustainability-promoting fashion conference in Europe.
SANDRA LUKS is a multidisciplinary designer whose practice redefines the possibilities of denim re-use. One such example: In Sandra Luks’s practice, unraveled threads from ripped up old jeans are woven together into a delicate fabric that carries both the fortitude of workwear and the ethereal lightness of feathery lace, a true testament to the enduring power of sustainable design.
Purchase Tickets

A HAPPY DAY
2025-05-21 19:00 - 21:00 | Scandinavia House, 58 Park Avenue, New York, NY, 10016, United States
“Full of snow, love and empathy”—on May 21, see the poignant and darkly comedic film A Happy Day, directed by Hisham Zaman (A Letter to the King), in New Nordic Cinema!
Three teenage friends, stuck in a refugee camp in the frozen north of Norway, have plans to escape over the mountains to fulfill their dreams — ideally before their 18th birthdays, at which point they will be deported. But when one of theme falls in love, their plan begins to unravel… A bold and artistic film set amid the vast and snow-covered landscapes of northern Norway, A Happy Day is “truthful and empathetic, a gesture of hope and a promise that there’s light in the darkest of times” (Cineuropa).

SOLD OUT — THE DAY ICELAND STOOD STILL | WITH PRESIDENT OF ICELAND HALLA TÓMASDÓTTIR
2025-05-22 12:30 - 14:30 | Scandinavia House, 58 Park Avenue, New York, NY, 10016, United States
*This event is now sold out.*
Join us for a special screening of The Day Iceland Stood Still with President of Iceland Halla Tómasdóttir! H.E. Tómasdóttir will discuss her recollections of the historical events in the film and its relevance today with award-winning journalist Pat Mitchell following the screening.
When 90 percent of the women of Iceland walked off the job and out of their homes one fall morning in 1975 refusing to work, cook, or take care of the children, they brought their country to a standstill and catapulted Iceland to the “best place in the world to be a woman.” Told for the first time by the women themselves, and laced with playful animation, The Day Iceland Stood Still is subversive and unexpectedly funny. “We loved our male chauvinist pigs,” recalls one of the activists, “We just wanted to change them a little!”
Filmed in a collaboration between U.S. director Hogan, who campaigned as a high school student in the 1970s with her activist mother to pass the Equal Rights Amendment, and Icelandic producer Hrafnhildur Gunnarsdóttir, who at the age of seven accompanied her mother to the 1975 strike, the film features appearances by celebrities such as former Icelandic president Vigdís Finnbogadóttir, the world’s first democratically elected female head of state, as well as music by Björk. Released in the lead-up to the strike’s 50th anniversary in 2025, the film’s message about the collective power of women to transform their society inspires viewers to reimagine the impossible.
This program is presented in the Curtis L. Carlson Distinguished Lecture Series.
“A worldwide cri de coeur…the overriding mood of the film is joy” (The Globe and Mail)
“A fascinating, captivating and humorous look at this inspirational movement, that’s a necessary watch today” (Yahoo News)

BATTLING MISINFORMATION IN THE AGE OF AI | VIRTUAL PANEL
2025-05-28 11:00 - 12:00 | NY
Join us for a virtual panel on May 28 exploring Finland’s groundbreaking strides in battling misinformation and disinformation in media, with speakers Mikko Salo, Aki Saariaho, Kari Kivinen, Minna Aslama Horowitz and moderator Marc Monseau.
Finland is ranked first worldwide in media literacy, outpacing other nations in spotting and identifying disinformation and misinformation. This stems from the Finland’s focus on encouraging responsible media consumption through education efforts from primary school through adult education, including through partnerships with government agencies and nonprofit organizations including Faktabaari (FactBar), a fact-checking and digital information literacy service, to ensure that Finns have the critical understanding to separate fact from fiction.
In today’s discussion, Mikko Salo (Founder, Faktabaari), Aki Saariaho (educator and Faktabaari board member), Kari Kivinen (education expert, Finland), and Minna Aslama Horowitz (instructor/researcher, University of Helsinki and Faktabaari board member) will be joined by moderator and journalist Marc Monseau, who recently explored the subject in Scandinavian Review’s “Setting the Record Straight.” The program will include a digital presentation about responsible media consumption developed by Faktabaari. This will be followed by a discussion in which they’ll discuss how Finland encourages critical thinking skills to encourage appropriate use of media — including new communication technologies (like AI) — through a holistic educational approach that provides resiliency in the face of the onslaught of misinformation & disinformation. They’ll also discuss democratic debates in the age of Big Tech and share ways that audiences can be more responsible consumers of media, in both their professional and personal lives. Finally, they’ll also share ways that audiences can support domestic efforts to drive more responsible media consumption.
REGISTER
