Oslo, August 31st

Recovering drug addict Anders has almost completed his rehabilitation programme. As part of his treatment he's given a day's leave from the countryside rehab centre to attend a job interview in his native Oslo. Smart, handsome and witty, Anders has great promise but it's the end of summer and the city has an emotional melancholy he is drawn to. Deliberately flunking the interview, Anders, it seems, is more interested in using his day to revisit, reassess and try to reconnect with the city and people he loves. His journey through the sights and sounds of Oslo is at once tense and compelling, but is handled with a great warmth and deceptive lightness of touch by director Joachim Trier (Reprise). Inspired by the Pierre Drieu La Rochelle novel Le feu follet, Oslo, August 31st is imbued with a New Wave sensibility in both style and approach. There is a refreshing freedom in actor Anders Danielsen Lie's intense yet seemingly effortless performance, which is underscored by Trier's stunning direction and sound design.