MAIN DRAMATIC COMPETITION “MAKING WAY”

DEN STYGGE STESØSTEREN

2025 / 105 min / color

Who doesn’t know the tale of Cinderella? That person is certainly not Norwegian director Emilie Blichfeldt, who decided to make her feature-length debut out of a somewhat sinister version of the popular story. The protagonist of The Ugly Sister is Elvira (Lea Myren), dreaming that fate will finally smile on her. The biggest obstacle to winning the heart of a prince, and thus starting a new and better life, turns out to be her stepsister. Knowing that it will be difficult for her to compare with the charming Agnes (Thea Sofie Loch Næss), Elvira will stop at nothing to become queen of the ball. There are many local versions of the Cinderella tale, but Blichfeldt is closest to the darkness of the Brothers Grimm. Her film is a body horror that fits well with the poetics that have been popular lately, thanks to Titane or Substance, but also takes inspiration from the cinema of David Cronenberg. The Norwegian director, using the formula of costume cinema, talks about very topical issues – the dictates of beauty, unhealthy patterns or how the body is changing. The film, which turned out to be a hit at the Sundance Film Festival and Berlinale, was partly shot in Poland, and we can enjoy Katarzyna Herman and Agnieszka Żulewska in supporting roles.

A Q&A session with the filmmakers will take place during the film screening on May 2 at 8:45 PM at the Academy of Fine Arts.
Please note: the Q&A will be in English.