Skyggenes dal (2017)

	Directed by: Jonas Matzow Gulbrandsen	INTERNATIONAL TITLE Valley of Shadows COUNTRY Norway GENRE Drama/Mystery RUNNING TIME 91 minutes
	Produced by: Alan R. Milligan
	Written by: Jonas Matzow Gulbrandsen Clement Tuffreau

Cast includes:
CHARACTER	ACTOR/ACTRESS	RATING
Aslak	Adam Ekeli
Astrid	Kathrine Fagerland	½
Lasse	Lennard Salamon
Lasse's father	Jone Hope Larsen

Review

Plot-heavy would not be a correct description of this moody, introspective piece by Norwegian first-time director Jonas Matzow Gulbrandsen. Although founded in a realistic universe and a Northern European drama tradition, the film balances constantly and rather elegantly on the line into the supernatural, and Gulbrandsen's real trick here, and the film's best asset, is the way serious, grown-up matters are viewed through the eyes of the six-year-old lead character. The filmmakers skilfully use the camera to take the big, scary world in through the eyes of the child, and demonstrate that we must all interpret, process and ultimately come to terms with events in our lives utilising our own level of experience. In other words: Life must be lived by none other than yourself. It's relatable stuff for anyone who has been a child, even those who had forgotten how it was. Skyggenes dal is a slow-moving and in many ways uneventful film that may not catch the interest of everyone, but it's made with considerable amounts of thoughtfulness and flair by a clearly talented filmmaker. Worth a watch.