Kitchen Stories (2003) directed by Bent Hamer

[reviews_and_ramblings]

Director: Bent Hamer

Writers:Jörgen Bergmark (writer)
Bent Hamer (writer)

Release Date: 15 January 2003 (Tromsø International Film Festival, Norway)
10 December 2003 (Rome, Italy, premiere)
19 February 2004 (Portland International Film Festival, USA)

Genre: Comedy, Drama

Plot: A scientific observer's job of observing an old cantakerous single man's kitchen habits is complicated by his growing friendship with him.

In post war Sweden it was discovered that every year, an average housewife walks the equivalent number of miles as the distance between Stockholm and Congo, while preparing her family meals. So the Home Research Institute sent out eighteen observers to a rural district of Norway to map out the kitchen routines of single men. The researchers were on twenty-four-hour call, and sat in special strategically placed chairs in each kitchen. Furthermore, under no circumstances were the researchers to be spoken to, or included in the kitchen activities.

Awards: 2003 Amanda Award as Best Film (Årets norske kinofilm) to Bent Hamer
2003 Golden Frog Nomination to Philip Øgaard, Camerimage
2003 Golden Swan Award as Best Director to Bent Hamer, Copenhagen International Film Festival
2003 Golden Swan Nomination to Bent Hamer, Copenhagen International Film Festival
2003 Audience Award Nomination as Best Director to Bent Hamer, European Film Awards
2003 Best Screenplay Award to Jörgen Bergmark & Bent Hamer, Ghent International Film Festival
2003 Grand Prix Nomination to Bent Hamer, Ghent International Film Festival
2003 Baltic Film Prize Award for a Nordic Feature Film to Bent Hamer, Lübeck Nordic Film Days
2003 International Jury Award as Best Director to Bent Hamer, São Paulo International Film Festival
2003 International Jury Award Nomination to Bent Hamer, São Paulo International Film Festival
2003 FIPRESCI Prize to Bent Hamer For a touching, intelligent and multi-layered film, beautifully designed, skillfully performed and scripted, that delivers an always relevant fable of friendship, self-realisation and modernity, observing with grace, intelligence and, most of all, humour, the timeless desire of the human heart to escape classification, Tromsø International Film Festival
2003 Best Director of Photography Award to Philip Øgaard, Valladolid International Film Festival, Silver Spike to Bent Hamer, Golden Spike Nomination to Bent Hamer

@IMDb
@Amazon: Kitchen Stories (2003)
@Netflix

 







 

Cast (in credits order):
Joachim Calmeyer ... Isak Bjørvik
Tomas Norström ... Folke Nilsson
Bjørn Floberg ... Grant
Reine Brynolfsson ... Malmberg
Sverre Anker Ousdal ... Dr. Jack Zac. Benjaminsen
Leif Andrée ... Dr. Ljungberg
Gard B. Eidsvold ... Bakkerman (as Gard Eidsvold)
Lennart Jähkel ... Green
Trond Brænne ... Ordforer
Bjørn Jenseg ... Vaktmester
Jan Gunnar Røise ... Vaktmesterassistent
Karin Lunden ... Svensk selskapsdame
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Päivi Laakso ... Finsk selskapsdame

 
Isak and Folke

Comments

[elisa-rolle.livejournal.com]

This is not often tagged as gay movie, since, it's true, there is no "sex" between Isak and Folke, but I think that there is indeed a love story, even if maybe it has more a friend than a sex development. But the concept of two men who are forbidden to have a relationship, one of them has to observe the other without interfere, the other starts to feel something for his unwelcomed "guest", the jealousy of the neighboor who sees the new arrival as someone who will intrude in the exclusive relationship he has with Isak... all of it for me is symbolism of a love relationship that do not dare to speak its name.

[mountie123.livejournal.com]

this one looks really good elisa. I will see if I can find it. Might be the first movie I watch in 2010.

[elisa-rolle.livejournal.com]

It's not really a gay romance, and indeed it's probably one of the best gay romance I have ever seen. It's tender and sweet, and deep.