Even without an Oscar, The Girl with the Needle is a winner

Following the last two columns, I had my hopes set at celebrating Scandinavian success at the Academy Awards this month; it was just that there wasn’t anything to celebrate. That is, if you measure purely on wins.

Perhaps the usually down-to-earth Scandis, including myself, have gotten a bit carried away with success in recent years, and with the fact that the region continues to punch above its weight. In truth, bringing ourselves down to earth, in a good-old Janteloven (Law of Jante) fashion may be in order.

Still, Danes – and other Scandinavians – have every reason to pat themselves on the back: securing a spot on the top-five shortlist is a remarkable achievement in what is arguably the most prestigious award in the film industry.

The feat is all the more impressive given the category’s recent shift from Best Foreign Language Film to Best International Feature, reflecting broader, more competitive global representation. This means contenders are competing with any film not produced in the US, in other words foreign language films as well as non-US English-speaking films.

While The Girl with the Needle, directed by Swedish-Polish director Magnus van Horn, did not win an Oscar, it is worth noting that the collaborative relationships between Scandinavian filmmakers are as strong as ever. Additionally, the film is yet another testament to the DNA of Scandinavian filmmaking – a tradition of boundary-pushing driven by a commitment to bold, original storytelling, rather than a desire for critical or public recognition.

When the stylistic film aired at the Cannes Film Festival last year, where it was also nominated, critics described it as “grippingly acted” and “a sombre, commercially uncompromising work.”

In addition to the Cannes and Academy Award nominations, The Girl with the Needle continues to gain traction, having received 22 wins and 39 nominations in film festivals around the world.

It is available for streaming on the MUBI, Apple TV and Amazon Video platforms.

Anders Lorenzen is a Danish blogger and film and TV enthusiast living in London.