Scandinavia House

FILMS FROM THE FAROE ISLANDS — VIRTUAL SCREENINGS
2024-04-25 12:00 - 23:59, 2024-04-24 12:00 - 23:59, 2024-04-23 12:00 - 23:59, 2024-04-22 12:00 - 23:59, 2024-04-21 12:00 - 23:59, 2024-04-20 12:00 - 23:59, 2024-04-19 12:00 - 23:59 (America/New_York) | NY
Presented in Faroe Islands Culture Days, see virtual screenings of some of the best contemporary film from the Faroe Islands in “Fog-Swept Cinema”!
From April 19 through May 5, 2024, a virtual screening package will be available with three feature films — the coming-of-age drama Dreams by the Sea, the surrealist feature 111 Good Days, and the documentary Skál — as well as four short films, showcasing today’s leading filmmakers from the North Atlantic archipelago.
Virtual screening packages are available throughout the U.S.
Read the full lineup here.
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PRACTICE
2024-04-24 19:00 - 20:30 | Scandinavia House, 58 Park Avenue, New York, NY, 10016, United States
See an Earth Day screening of Practice (dir. Laurens Pérol, Norway, 2023), a coming-of-age film about an eighteen-year-old musician whose environmentalism is tested when her refusal to fly jeopardizes an audition that will make or break her career, on April 24 at Scandinavia House!
Like Greta Thunberg, the talented but stubborn trumpet player Trine refuses to fly. Idealism threatens the climate activist’s promising musical career when she lands a last-minute audition in Oslo—1500 kilometers south of her home in Northern Norway. Rather than abandon her morals, Trine decides to hitchhike her way to the capital. Practice is an unlikely road movie about passion, righteousness and youth, and a tender exploration of what it means to listen to ourselves.
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NORWEGIAN 1
2024-04-24 17:45 - 18:45, 2024-04-23 17:45 - 18:45, 2024-04-17 17:45 - 18:45, 2024-04-16 17:45 - 18:45, 2024-04-10 17:45 - 18:45, 2024-04-09 17:45 - 18:45, 2024-04-03 17:45 - 18:45 | Scandinavia House, 58 Park Avenue, New York, NY, 10016, United States
Learn the Nordic languages in classes offered this spring at Scandinavia House! In this beginner’s course, you will build your Norwegian vocabulary, pronunciation, and grammar skills, while also learning about Norwegian culture and life. By the course’s end, you should be able to conduct simple conversations in Norwegian.
You will get to practice conversations and reading in class, and there will be a focus on pronunciation, and Norwegian vowels and sounds, which may be new to your ear. Students are welcome to bring personal experiences, anecdotes, and facts about Norway into class discussions. There will also be at-home assignments focusing on reading, writing, and grammar, as well as an optional end-of-semester presentation.
Outside of class, students are encouraged to watch Norwegian shows, and movies, read simple text, and have Norwegian podcasts on in the background.
The required text will be provided via pdf, before the first class.
Ideal for:

Absolute beginners
Those seeking a solid foundation in the Norwegian language
Those interested in traveling to Norway

You will develop:

Beginner-level conversational skills in Norwegian
Proficiency in basic Norwegian grammar

This hybrid class will be held both in-person and via Zoom; in-person attendance for the first four classes is highly recommended. Classes take place on Tuesday and Wednesday from 5:45-6:45 PM beginning Tuesday, March 19.
No prerequisites required; instructions for remote learning will be emailed upon registration. For questions about language levels, please contact Marie-Therese Bjornerud. Tuition is $675 ($607.50 ASF Members); 20 hours total class time.
Required & Recommended Material
Required:
Textbook: PA VEI TEKSTBOK, ELLINGSEN, 2012 – ISBN: 9788202340940
Workbook: PA VEI ARBEIDSBOK, ELLINGSEN, 2012 – ISBN: 9788202343163
Highly Recommended:
Word List: PA VEI Norsk-Engelsk Ordliste, ELLINGSEN, 2012 – ISBN: 9788202372255
CD-set: PA VEI ELEV-CD til tekstbok, ELLINGSEN, 2012 – ISBN: 9788202371869
Also Recommended:
Online exercises (both oral and written) following the textbook
Notebooks for vocabulary as well as notes
Duolingo (Android, Apple) and other language apps to expand vocabulary and support the learning process
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FAROESE KNITTING WORKSHOP | WITH SÁRA MRDALO
2024-04-21 14:00 - 17:00, 2024-04-21 10:00 - 13:00 | Scandinavia House, 58 Park Avenue, New York, NY, 10016, United States
Presented in Faroe Islands Culture Days, join us for a three-hour workshop led by renowned Faroese knitter Sára Mrdalo, the head knitter at Navia! This program will explore the rich tradition of Faroese knitting, teaching participants new techniques and different pattern-work such as lace, structure, cable knit, and two-colored patterns. Participants will work on five different projects and will learn the techniques to create five patterns in order to finish four featured sweaters as well as skóleistur, a shoe knitted from woolen yarn.
Two sessions of the program will be offered, one from 10 AM to 1 PM and one from 2 PM to 5 PM (each program includes a coffee break midway through). Basic knowledge is needed for the workshop, with cast-on, knit and purl competence; it is best-suited for basic knitters to advance knitters. Participants will need to bring their own materials, including 5 double-pointed needles U.S. size 6, as well as size 6 needles, and 2-3 skeins of yarn (see details below). Sessions will be limited to 20 attendees per session; please reserve early to guarantee attendance.
Workshop tickets also include complimentary admission to the Faroese Knitwear Showcase & Drop-In Knitting events on Saturday & Sunday, April 21-22.
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FAROESE KNITWEAR SHOWCASE & DROP-IN MEET & GREET
2024-04-21 12:00 - 14:00, 2024-04-20 13:00 - 17:00 | Scandinavia House, 58 Park Avenue, New York, NY, 10016, United States
Presented in Faroe Islands Culture Days, join us for a knitwear showcase and drop-in knitting event! Following the Panel Discussion & Film Screening “Design From the Faroe Islands” at 11 AM, join us for an opportunity to meet the designers, talk wool, knit, tradition, design vision and sustainable fashion. Admission is free for Panel & Film Screening ticketholders and ASF Members ($5 for all other attendees).
Featured brands at this event include Einstakt, Shisa Brand, Navia, REKA, Steinum, and Durita Thomsen.
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FAROESE DESIGN, WOOL & KNITTING | SCREENING & PANEL
2024-04-20 11:00 - 13:00 | Scandinavia House, 58 Park Avenue, New York, NY, 10016, United States
Presented in this spring’s “Fog Swept Islands: Faroese Culture Days,” join us a celebration of Faroese Design, Wool and Knitting! Today’s program will begin with a screening of the short documentary The Wool Islands (dir. Beinta á Torkilsheyggi and Marianna Mørkøre, 16 min.), followed by an introduction of the six Faroese brands participating in Fog Swept Islands: Einstakt, Shisa Brand, Navia, REKA, Steinum, and Durita Thomsen.
In the second part of the program, actress, model and sheep owner Isabella Rossellini will moderate a discussion with Sissal Kristiansen (Shisa Brand and The Wool Islands initiator), Jóhanna av Steinum (Steinum), and Óli Kristian á Torkilsheyggi (Navia). Their conversation will explore wool, traditions, knitting and fashion — how the Faroese (historically and to today) have contributed on these topics.
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WITNESSING CLIMATE CHANGE
2024-04-18 18:00 - 20:00 | Scandinavia House, 58 Park Avenue, New York, NY, 10016, United States
On April 18, join us for a screening and film panel exploring how Arctic Indigenous peoples have battled against climate change through films and other media from the perspective of Free, Prior and Informed Consent.
Arctic Indigenous peoples have a rich storytelling tradition that is still vivid and active. The stories have played an essential role in maintaining sustainable living in the Sámi and other Indigenous people’s traditional living areas — by being in charge of their narratives, these communities create a new future for their peoples. That’s why all Indigenous peoples must have the ultimate right to tell their own stories about climate change in the Arctic tipping points, including ice caps melting, permafrost collapsing, ocean changes and vanishing of the snow.
In today’s program, participants will discuss these topics and more. Speakers will be discussed closer to the date; please check back for more details on the film screening and panelists.
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LITERATURE FROM THE FAROE ISLANDS
2024-04-17 19:00 - 20:30 | Scandinavia House, 58 Park Avenue, New York, NY, 10016, United States
Presented by Scandinavia House and FarLit-Literature from the Faroe Islands in Fog Swept Islands: Faroe Islands Culture Days, join us for a Faroese literary event highlighting poetry, children’s books and the importance of translation, with bilingual readings, author talks and translator insights! In this program, four esteemed Faroese authors — Marjun Syderbø Kjelnæs, Kim Simonsen, Rannvá Holm Mortensen and Bárður Oskarsson — will be joined by translators Matthew Landrum and Randi Ward to read from their works (either currently available in English translation or forthcoming) and will discuss their shared existential themes and how they prompt reflection on our impact on the world. They will ask the question: do we leave any trace at all?
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THE FAROE ISLANDS & THE ARCTIFICATION OF THE NORTH
2024-04-16 19:00 - 20:30 | Scandinavia House, 58 Park Avenue, New York, NY, 10016, United States
Join us for a lecture exploring present and future changes in Faroese society, with a focus on current events in the Arctic region, with Bergur Djurhuus Hansen (Dean and Associate Professor of Literature, Faculty of Language and Literature at University of the Faroe Islands).
At times having been described as a borderland in the North Atlantic or as stepping stones towards another world, the Faroe Islands were first settled by Irish monks around 600 CE. Today they have a strong economy, a vibrant art and music scene and internationally acclaimed literary publications, are engaged in international trade and cultural activities, and are dependent on their close relations with other nations. But as recent developments within the North Atlantic have brought opportunities for collaboration and economic growth as well as threats from geopolitical competition and militarization, they have revitalized descriptions of the Faroe Islands as stepping stones — today to the Arctic. These narratives have new implications as the region undergoes an “Arcticification,” with an increased focus on the North as a region of ice and heavy seas, climate change, crisis, and military tensions.
Based on historical developments, presenting significant and fascinating excerpts from historical accounts as well as from travel writings and contemporary pieces of literature, Bergur Djurhuus Hansen will address these subjects and more.
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HEARTIST | SCREENING & DIRECTOR/PRODUCER TALK
2024-04-13 14:45 - 16:45 | Scandinavia House, 58 Park Avenue, New York, NY, 10016, United States
Screening in this spring’s “Faroese Culture Days: Fog Swept Islands,” join us for a presentation of Heartist, a new documentary exploring the life and work of contemporary Faroese artist Sigrun Gunnarsdóttir, followed by a film panel and Q&A with directors Marianna Mørkøre & Beinta á Torkilsheyggi and producers Jón Hammer & Rógvi Rasmussen!
On April 13 in celebration of the opening of Fog Swept Cargo, an exhibition on view in coordination with Faroe Island Culture Days, Scandinavia House will present a day of events including a panel discussion with artists Hansina Iversen, Randi Samsonsen, Jóhan Martin Christiansen, Alda Mohr Eyðunardóttir, moderated by curator Kinna Poulsen at 1 PM, followed by the screening of Heartist exploring the life and work of artist Sigrun Gunnarsdóttir at 2:45 PM, which will be followed by a film panel with directors Marianna Mørkøre & Beinta á Torkilsheyggi and producers Jón Hammer & Rógvi Rasmussen.
One of the most important contemporary painters on the Faroe Islands, Sigrun Gunnarsdóttir and the colorful simplicity of her style have resonated with the art world, resulting in local and international recognition. With an aesthetically pleasing and carefully composed imagery inspired by Sigrun’s own approach, Mørkøre and Torkilsheyggi’s documentary delves into the artist’s vision, her life journey, personal challenges and quirks. (58 min. In Faroese with English subtitles).
Ticket prices for this event also include the Artist Panel at 1 PM.
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FOG SWEPT CARGO OPENING CELEBRATION | ARTIST PANEL, HEARTIST SCREENING & FILM Q&A
2024-04-13 13:00 - 17:00 | Scandinavia House, 58 Park Avenue, New York, NY, 10016, United States
On April 13 in celebration of the opening of Fog Swept Cargo, an exhibition on view in coordination with “Faroe Island Culture Days,” join us for an Opening Celebration featuring a panel discussion with artists Hansina Iversen, Randi Samsonsen, Jóhan Martin Christiansen, Alda Mohr Eyðunardóttir, moderated by curator Kinna Poulsen; a screening of the film Heartist exploring the life and work of artist Sigrun Gunnarsdóttir; followed by a film panel with directors Marianna Mørkøre & Beinta á Torkilsheyggi and producers Jón Hammer & Rógvi Rasmussen.
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$10 (free for ASF Members)
SCHEDULE
Artist Panel—1:00 PM

Faroese artists Hansina Iversen, Randi Samsonsen, Jóhan Martin Christiansen, and Alda Mohr Eyðunardóttir will be joined by exhibition curator Kinna Poulsen for a discussion on their works in Fog Swept Cargo, on view in the Scandinavia House Galleries through July 6 and opening in coordination with Faroe Islands Culture Days. Learn about the exhibition here.
Heartist—2:45 PM
See a presentation of Heartist, a new documentary (dir. Marianna Mørkøre & Beinta á Torkilsheyggi, Faroe Islands, 2023) exploring the life and work of contemporary Faroese artist Sigrun Gunnarsdóttir, one of the most important contemporary painters on the Faroe Islands, Gunnarsdóttir and the colorful simplicity of her style have resonated with the art world, resulting in local and international recognition. With an aesthetically pleasing and carefully composed imagery inspired by Sigrun’s own approach, Mørkøre and Torkilsheyggi’s documentary delves into the artist’s vision, her life journey, personal challenges and quirks. (58 min. In Faroese with English subtitles).

Film Panel—3:45 PM
Following the screening, see a panel discussion and Q&A with Heartist directors Marianna Mørkøre & Beinta á Torkilsheyggi and producers Jón Hammer & Rógvi Rasmussen!
Learn more about the exhibition here.

SHAME ON DRY LAND
2024-04-10 19:00 - 21:00 | Scandinavia House, 58 Park Avenue, New York, NY, 10016, United States
See Shame on Dry Land (Syndabocken, dir. Sweden, 2023), a “tight and engrossing thriller” (Cineuropa) from director Axel Petersén, on April 10!
After a decade in exile, Dimman (Joel Spira) arrives in Malta just in time for the wedding of his former best friend and business partner Fredrik (Christopher Wagelin) and his wife-to-be Sara, both members of the Swedish online gaming community, surprising both with his arrival. Dimman has come to apologize for vanishing years earlier, leaving Fredrik to clean up the fallout of their business collapsing — something that Fredrik has no interest in forgiving. Disgraced and anxious, Dimman turns to his next task repaying a favor to his sugar mama Kicki, who sets him on a mission to keep tabs on Swedish tax authority investigator Krumm, who is snooping around the island’s Swedish expat community. As Dimman is torn between shadowing Krumm and absolving himself with Fredrik, his romantic ideals of friendship clash with the cynicism of permanent exile. And in his desperate pursuit of redemption, he soon finds himself on a wild goose chase paved with lies, deceit and bloody murder.
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NORDIC BOOK CLUB ONLINE | THE OTHER NAME (SEPTOLOGY I-II) BY JON FOSSE
2024-04-09 18:00 - 19:00 | Scandinavia House, 58 Park Avenue, New York, NY, 10016, United States
Read and discuss literature with our Nordic Book Club Online! Each month we select a novel from some of the best Nordic literary voices to read and discuss via Zoom. On April 9, in celebration of Norwegian author Jon Fosse’s recent award of the 2023 Nobel Prize for Literature, we’ll be reading the first two volumes of his acclaimed Septology series, a radical and transcendental exploration of the human condition as told through the story of two aging painters each called Asle — one a widower on the southwest coast of Norway, and one a struggling alcoholic in the city of Bjørgvin — as they confront eternal questions of death, love, faith, and hopelessness. All seven volumes of Septology are available in collection here in translation by Damion Searls; today’s discussion will focus on Volumes I & II, published under the title The Other Name.
The Other Name follows the lives of two men living close to each other on the west coast of Norway. The year is coming to a close and Asle, an aging painter and widower, is reminiscing about his life. He lives alone, his only friends being his neighbor, Åsleik, a bachelor and traditional Norwegian fisherman-farmer, and Beyer, a gallerist who lives in Bjørgvin, a couple hours’ drive south of Dylgja, where he lives. There, in Bjørgvin, lives another Asle, also a painter. He and the narrator are doppelgangers—two versions of the same person, two versions of the same life.
Written in hypnotic prose that shifts between the first and third person, The Other Name calls into question concrete notions around subjectivity and the self. What makes us who we are? And why do we lead one life and not another?
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THE TORMIS LEGACY: REGILAUL IN NEW YORK
2024-04-07 14:30 - 16:00 | Scandinavia House, 58 Park Avenue, New York, NY, 10016, United States
Discover the music of Veljo Tormis (1930–2017), one of the most important Estonian composers of the late 20th century, through a performance, screening and book discussion on April 7!
Veljo Tormis’s compositions were profoundly based on the ancient traditional songs of the Estonian people — runic songs or regilaul. One of the goals of his professional life (in which he succeeded) was to restore that music to a central place in Estonian culture, which proved to be of great importance to a culture that had been subjugated by the Soviet Union for over 50 years. Since then, other Estonian composers have been influenced by his combination of ancient and contemporary styles.
In today’s program, experience the Estonian folk-style music that has evolved from regilaul through a performance by Celia Roose (vocals, bagpaipes and garmon) and Ants Johanson (guitar); see the documentary short The One & Only, exploring how Veljo Tormis influenced his companions such as former Estonian president Kersti Kaljulaid, composer Arvo Pärt, and others; and explore the digital photo exhibition Isa Ise / Father Himself by Tõnu Tormis (Veljo Tormis’s son), which provides an exceptionally vivid vision through Veljo’s character from 1964-2000. Concluding the event will be a conversation with Mimi Daitz, author of the book Ancient Song Recovered: The Life and Music of Veljo Tormis (now in its 2nd edition), as well as a book-signing.
The event is part of Estonian Cultural Days in New YorK and is organized in partnership with Veljo Tormis Virtual Center, Estonian Ministry of Culture, Consulate General of Estonia and Foundation for Estonian Arts and Letters.
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THE INVISIBLE FIGHT
2024-04-04 19:00 - 21:00 | Scandinavia House, 58 Park Avenue, New York, NY, 10016, United States
“Critic’s Pick! Satisfyingly blends kung fu, heavy metal and Orthodox Christianity. Remind[s] us that walking on water is a skill shared by both Jet Li and Jesus” (Amy Nicholson, The New York Times). See The Invisible Fight (Nähtamatu võitlus; dir. Rainer Sarnet, Estonia, 2023), a quirky Estonian action comedy about a Soviet dissident’s quest to become a kung-fu master! The screening is part of our Estonian Cultural Days in New York organized in partnership with the Estonian Ministry of Culture, the Consulate General of Estonia and the Foundation for Estonian Arts and Letters.
Estonia, 1973. Young conscript Rafael has just returned from the Soviet-Chinese border, the sole survivor of a surprise attack by flying kung-fu warriors. Eager to learn more about the technique that took down his fellow soldiers, Rafael’s growing obsession shows him that there’s more to life than Soviet conformity. He soon embarks on a quest to master the art of kung-fu, finding unlikely mentorship at an underground Orthodox monastery. With a skeptical mother, a rival apprentice, and a budding love interest pulling him in different directions, Rafael finds that his journey to unlock the greatest martial art of all—the almighty power of humility—is long, winding, and full of kick-ass adventures.
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TOVE'S ROOM | NEW NORDIC CINEMA
2024-04-03 19:00 - 20:30 | Scandinavia House, 58 Park Avenue, New York, NY, 10016, United States
See Tove’s Room (dir. Martin Zandvliet, Denmark, 2023), a new biopic about Danish poet Tove Ditlevsen and her tortured marriage to editor Victor Andreasen, on April 3 at Scandinavia House.
In 1969 in Copenhagen, we meet one of Denmark’s most acclaimed female authors, Tove Ditlevsen, and her husband, the sadistic news editor Victor Andreasen. Tove’s talent is indisputable, and as a woman, her brilliance presents a threat to the chauvinistic literary culture of her era. Her success ignites her husband’s envy, which he weaponizes against her in insidious ways. Tensions rise when the promising young author Klaus Rifbjerg, a man unthreatened by modern womanhood, comes to visit the couple. Klaus expects to share a nice afternoon with his idol, but when Victor’s temper gets in the way, chaos ensues.
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