#leiv igor devold

Leiv Igor Devold - Norwegian Dream (2023)

norwegian dream (2023) dir. leiv igor devold

Predictable social issues intersect in this lovely film about a Polish young adult from the north-east of Poland (where I was born too), with a traumatic history of homophobic violence experience, low socio-economic status, dead father, and shitty working conditions in Norway, where he works at a fish factory. Milkowski is a sensitive and strong lead, easily capturing the situation of someone who feels the need to put on some cis-masculinity performance and yet is aware that in this new setting he may not be immediately read as "queer" (and even if he is, he's probably relatively safer anyway) but his identification is one of an easily exploited migrant. His eventual lover is a black local openly queer man who experiences various intensities of hostile treatment from everyone around. There's also the Polish mother who seems to exist only for the sake of a coming-out moment that is well-written and well-acted, but unnecessary. All this, plus the standard indie-film aesthetics, made me think of Elephant, similarly interesting and significant yet full of well-meaning clichés.

Leiv Igor Devold - Norwegian Dream (2023)

Leiv Igor Devold - Norwegian Dream (2023)

Leiv Igor Devold - Norwegian Dream (2023)

Leiv Igor Devold - Norwegian Dream (2023)

Leiv Igor Devold - Norwegian Dream (2023)