email print share on Facebook share on Twitter share on LinkedIn share on reddit pin on Pinterest

AWARDS Norway

What Will People Say has a very good year at the Amandas

by 

- The Norwegian film awards have just had an undisputed winner; her name is Iram Haq

What Will People Say has a very good year at the Amandas
Director Iram Haq with two of her Amanda Awards

One of the several favourites at the 2018 Amanda ceremony, presented in Haugesund for the 34th time since 1985, Iram Haq’s What Will People Say [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Iram Haq
film profile
]
won four awards in the categories of Best Norwegian Film in Theatrical Release, Best Actor (Adil Hussain), Best Director (Haq) and Best Screenplay (Haq again).

The film, which premiered at Toronto in 2017, is the story of 16-year-old Pakistani girl Nisha (Maria Mozhdah), who now lives in modern Norway with her family, who still abide by the traditions of “the old country”. Conflicts quickly escalate when her father sends her “back” to Pakistan to live with relatives in order to learn some decent and trusted values. The story, based on Haq’s own experiences, has had a very successful journey, and an Oscar buzz may well be heard in the weeks to come. 

(The article continues below - Commercial information)

Last year’s Norwegian Oscar candidate, Joachim Trier’s impressive Thelma [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Eili Harboe
interview: Joachim Trier
film profile
]
, “only” won three awards out of this year’s record 12 nominations: Best Cinematography (Jakob Ihre), Best Music (Ola Fløttum) and Best Editing (Olivier Bugge Coutté). 

Erik Poppe’s Berlin sensation U – July 22 [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Erik Poppe
film profile
]
 snagged both actress awards, Andrea Berntzen for Best Actress and Solveig Koløen Birkeland for Best Actress in a Supporting Role.

Another highly anticipated film, Harald Zwart’s ten-years-in-the-making World War II epic 12th Man [+see also:
trailer
interview: Harald Zwart
film profile
]
, a remake of Arne Skouen’s Nine Lives (1957, voted the greatest Norwegian film of all time in 2005), got the audience vote for the People’s Amanda as well as the Award for Best Sound Design (Christian Schaanning).

The Amanda Committee Honorary Award went to author and screenwriter Lars Saabye Christensen

The name Amanda originates from an old sea shanty about one "Amanda from Haugesund", who lived there in the 1920s and made a living from selling liquor to sailors during the prohibition period. 

Here are all of this year’s Amanda winners: 

Best Norwegian Film in Theatrical Release
What Will People Say [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Iram Haq
film profile
]
 – Iram Haq (Norway/Germany/Sweden)

Best Children’s Film
Anchors Up [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
 – Simen Alsvik and Will Ashurst

Best Director
Iram Haq – What Will People Say

Best Actress
Andrea Berntzen – U – July 22 [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Erik Poppe
film profile
]

Best Actor
Adil Hussain – What Will People Say

Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Solveig Koløen Birkeland – U – July 22

Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Ingar Helge Gimle – Going West [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]

Best Screenplay
Iram Haq – What Will People Say

Best Cinematography
Jakob Ihre – Thelma [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Eili Harboe
interview: Joachim Trier
film profile
]
(Norway/France/Sweden/Denmark)

Best Art Direction/Scenography
Sebastian Ekeberg and Astrid Maria Sætren – The Monkey and the Mouth 

Best Visual Effects
Lars Erik Hansen (Gimpville), Morten Jacobsen (Storm Studios), Alexander Kadim (VARG Studios) and Arne Kaupang – 12th Man [+see also:
trailer
interview: Harald Zwart
film profile
]
 

Best Music
Ola Fløttum – Thelma

Best Editing
Olivier Bugge Coutté – Thelma

Best Sound Design
Christian Schaanning – 12th Man 

Best Short Film
No Man Is an Island – Ali Parandian 

Best Documentary
My Heart Belongs to Daddy [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
 – Sofia Haugan

Best Foreign Film in Theatrical Release
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
 – Martin McDonagh (UK/USA) 

The People’s Amanda
12th Man – Harald Zwart 

The Amanda Committee’s Golden Clapper
Veslemøy Fosse Ree

The Amanda Committee Honorary Award
Lars Saabye Christensen

(The article continues below - Commercial information)

Did you enjoy reading this article? Please subscribe to our newsletter to receive more stories like this directly in your inbox.

Privacy Policy