After the stunning success of the debut Scandinavian Film Festival last year, the 2015 program, presented by Palace and screening exclusively at Cinema Paradiso in Northbridge between 23 July and 29 July 2015, will showcase the most exciting dramas, comedies and thrillers from Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland and Iceland.

The second Scandinavian Film Festival will open with the uproarious HERE IS HAROLD (Her er Harold), a Norwegian road movie, about a man who sets out to kidnap the founder of Ikea.  For over 40 years, Harold has been running a successful business, “Lunde Furniture”.  But this comes to an end when IKEA decides to open a new superstore right next door to his small furniture shop.  In mounting anger and desperation, Harold wants revenge.  He arms himself with a pistol and sets off for Älmhult, Sweden, in order to kidnap his Nemesis – the founder of IKEA, Ingvar Kamprad.  But unfortunately, Kamprad is quite happy to be kidnapped.

Having picked up Best Film, Actor, Actress, Director and seven more awards at the Edda (Icelandic Academy) Awards, unsparing Icelandic drama LIFE IN A FISH BOWL (Vonarstræti) tells three congruent tales of three people who have a lasting effect on one another.

This naturalistic portrait of everyday life in Reykjavik on the eve of the country’s 2008 economic meltdown touched a nerve on home turf, becoming one of the country’s biggest ever domestic hits.

Based on a series of Finnish radio plays,  THE GRUMP (Mielensäpahoittaja) is a broad satire from director Dome Karukoski who returns to the comedy-of-bad behaviour mode of his 2010 box office hit LAPLAND ODYSSEY.  The film tells the story of a set-in-his-ways, 80 year old farmer from rural Finland, who raises hell when he is forced to move in with his city-dwelling son.

A modern take on class conflict plays out in the critically acclaimed debut film UNDERDOG (Svenskjävel) by Swedish director Ronnie Sandahl.  The drama tells the story of 23 year old Dino (magnetic comedian Bianca Kronlöf) who dreams of a different life.  Like an abundance of Swedes her age, she has fled the mass unemployment of her home country in search of a more worthwhile existence in a nouveau-riche Oslo. But her new life is caught in destructive loop of temporary jobs, financial trouble and hard partying, until she lands a job as a housekeeper for a wealthy ex-sportsman, ending up in the centre of an odd love triangle, an unpredictable struggle for affection as well as dominance. UNDERDOG is a tender and raw story of privilege and longing, yet at the same time a humorous and unmerciful observation of the shifted power balance between Sweden and Norway.

Named by Variety as one of the “TOP 10 EUROPEANS TO WATCH”, Norwegian Writer/Actor/Director Ole Giæver brings us OUT OF NATURE (Mot nature), a commentary on middle-class life and the Norwegian penchant for idealizing nature. With a wry Scandinavian sense of humor, OUT OF NATURE is a sharp and compelling film about a put-upon salary man who seeks spiritual and sexual renewal in the great outdoors.

Danish thrillers once again take center stage with this taught sequel to smash hit THE KEEPER OF LOST CAUSES. In THE ABSENT ONE (Fasandræberne), a troubling affair involving a double murder of twin siblings is reopened by the Copenhagen cold-case division after the kids’ father commits suicide. The Nordic noir-style mystery that toggles between the past and the present as it uncovers what really happened in the 1990s at one of the country’s poshest boarding schools is the second adaptation of a Jussi Adler-Olsen novel in the Department Q series.

This film brings the entire behind-the-scenes team back together with director Mikkel Norgaard and lead actors Nikolaj Lie Kaas and Fares Fares.

From Sweden, YOUNG SOPHIE BELL (Unga Sophie Bell) is Amanda Adolfsson’s longed for debut feature, and the second film to come out of Stockholm Film Festival’s scholarship for female directors. In the drama, two university friends move to Berlin after graduating, but their dreams are shattered when one suddenly and mysteriously disappears.

For further details on the Festival, visit the Festival web site at www.scandinavianfilmfestival.com.

The Danish Parliament passed a bill on dual citizenship in December 2014. The new law will take effect on 1 September 2015, and from then on, Danish citizens may obtain Australian citizenship without losing their Danish citizenship. Furthermore, a lost Danish citizenship, due to the attainment of an Australian citizenship, can generally be regained within a 5-year period (until 2020).

The Danish Embassy advises, that persons wishing to obtain dual citizenship, await the deadline of 1 September 2015, before an application is lodged, since the current law is still in effect until then. The State Administration in Copenhagen (Statsforvaltningen) will be the responsible authority for handling applications for Danish citizenship under the new law.

The new law does not change the current regulation for Danish children born abroad. Children born and living outside

Denmark still lose their Danish citizenship at the age of 22 unless retention is applied for, and approved by, the Danish Ministry of Justice. Therefore, these children should still apply to the Danish Ministry of Justice for retention of their Danish citizenship well before the age of 22.

For further information, please refer to the Danish Embassy’s webpage, which will be updated as soon as new information is available: http://australien.um.dk/da/rejse-og-ophold/dokumenter-og-gebyrer/dobbelt- statsborgerskab/ (Danish) http://australien.um.dk/en/travel-and- residence/documents-and-fees/danish- citizenship/ (English)

From the Royal Danish Embassy, Canberra

Nordic Sports Australia is having a Nordic sports day where anyone can come along and try various Nordic sports for free and find out more about available courses in Perth. Activities will be held at two venues in South Perth on Saturday 9 May between 11am and 2pm:

• Sir James Mitchell Park, South Perth
• Scented Gardens, South Perth Esplanade

Nordic Sports Australia is Perth’s largest Nordic walking business with four weekly walks Perth-wide. They also offer roller ski and cross skating courses and tours. Many of their regular walkers are from Scandinavian or European  backgrounds and they look forward to connecting with more like-minded people in WA. Some of their walks are free Heart Foundation walking groups and they also offer a weekly Seniors specific walk in East Perth.

For more information regarding venue and meeting times, please check out www.nordicsportsaustralia.com.au or contact Hannes on 0411 551 132 or by email: nordicsportsaustralia@gmail.com

• Anni Summertonsix has contacted the Association looking for some
  friends she lost contact with many years ago.

  Ditte (Edith) Larsen, her husband Harry and children Edward, Ove, Inger, Tony, Mugh younger, Ulla and Merete used to live in South Australia, but Anni lost contact with them in 1973. She has tried  everywhere to find them.

  If the Larsens have been members of our Association or anyone knows of them, would you please contact Anni direct by email to annigsummerton@gmail.com or let the SCANPOST editor know at nawilson@cygnus.uwa.edu.au

• The Over 50s Lunch will be held on 8 May at Nordic House at 12 noon. It will again be Bring a Plate format, but this time, please bring a Norwegian dish to celebrate the coming national day. Cost for lunch will be $12 if you bring some food and $20 if you don’t. Please book with Nina Herrero on 9245 8768, 0414 109 939 or by email to ninahkimba@gmail.com Any donations for the raffle will be greatly appreciated.

About 25 people enjoyed a dinner with a difference on 28 March at Nordic House.  Instead of our usual barbecue, we had some delightful smørrebrød, made by the Danish Butcher in Rockingham. The open sandwiches were very tasty and there was a great choice of toppings, both hot and cold, salmon, liver paste, roast beef, egg and prawns, egg and caviar, roast pork, fish fillets and hakkebøf. It was good trying something different and we hope that the butcher will continue to make the smørrebrød available for another time in the future.

Now we look forward to our next Over 50s Lunch on Friday 8 May at Nordic House at noon. Please come along and join us – details will be published on the Coming Events page, but do book with Nina to let her know if you are coming and what you are bringing. As this lunch is close to the Norwegian National Day on 12 May, we will take the opportunity to decorate Nordic House for that day.

You may notice that a few maintenance jobs have been attended to around Nordic House: a tree which contained termites at the front of the house has been removed, stump grinding removed two old tree stumps and a broken window has been replaced. Some electrical work has also been carried out with the installation of a new electrical switchboard, two safety switches, a smoke detector and the replacement of a faulty power point. In addition, a new stove has been purchased for the kitchen and that too is now installed and operational.

At the Busy Bee on 29 April, quite a few repairs were completed, both in the house and garden – there was plenty of activity all around. Thank you so much to the 11 people who came and helped.  It is much appreciated. We enjoyed lovely cakes for morning tea and later, when
the work was complete, hot dogs with the lot.

We will celebrate the remaining Nordic National Days on Saturday the 6 June  at 3 pm with an afternoon tea with æbleskiver and pancakes, so bring the whole family along to enjoy this event.

And, like last year, the Skt Hans Bonfire will be held at Nordic House on Saturday 20 June. We hope you and your families will support your Association by attending these events  and look forward to welcoming you there.

With best regards
The Committee