Norway Selects Joachim Trier’s Thelma For Oscars

The Norwegian Oscar Committee has announced that Joachim Trier’s supernatural thriller Thelma, which recently won the Norwegian Critics Prize at Haugesund, will represent Norway for consideration in the Best Foreign Language Film category at the 90th Academy Awards.

In the film, Thelma (Eili Harboe) moves away from her religious family in Western Norway to study in Oslo and falls in love with fellow student Anja (Okay Kaya). She begins to notice a connection to the supernatural, which manifests itself in violent attacks, but tries to keep it hidden. Then Anja disappears…

The Norwegian Oscar Committee said: “Thelma confirms that Trier is a unique yet safe film artist with broad and international appeal… the film is an all-embracing, ambitious and personal drama about a young woman’s awakening and detachment.”

“It is a film that fascinates, touches, and revolts and, using a thriller as a starting point Trier creates a much larger Nordic, in particular Norwegian story put in a universal context that anyone can recognise.”

Committee chairman Sindre Guldvog added: “Thelma is a film that touches the viewer on several levels, both emotionally and intellectually, it is visually striking, modern in expression but at the same time with clear references to classic films and with strong film qualities.”

“With this film, Joachim Trier, co-writer Eskil Vogt and the rest of his regular group of assistants have conveyed a story that will have a wide reach and which we strongly believe in as our candidate in the Oscar race.”

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will draw up its final shortlist of five films on 23rd January. The winner will be announced at the 90th Academy Awards on 4th March 2018 at the Dolby Theater in Hollywood.