Shana Mathai

When chaotic single mother Emilie hits a new low, she looks to her brother for help. He has a brilliant plan: to enter a cross-country ski marathon.

After a chance encounter with her estranged best friend Petter, who stands accused of rape, Guro is thrust into a harrowing moral dilemma: should she stand by him, risking her own reputation and sense of self, or sever the tie, abandoning someone she once trusted most? MERCY premiered at the 48th Norwegian Short Film Festival, where it won the Golden Chair award for Best Norwegian Short, and it also won Best Short film at the Norwegian film award Amanda. The film’s stark, unflinching narrative examines the fragile line between loyalty and judgment, forcing audiences to wrestle with uncomfortable questions about friendship, stigma, and how quickly trust fractures under accusation.

Christmas is approaching, and when their father loses his job as a Christmas tree seller, Ronja and Melissa take over the responsibility. While their father drowns his sorrows in the Stargate pub, the two girls are forced to fend for themselves and dream of a different reality. It is a film about a father who does his best, but is not enough; about an older sister who has far too big shoes to fill; and about a little sister who never stops hoping.