THEMOVIES

The director gained fame with the trilogy Oslo Stories, about sex, love and relationships. This beautiful portrait of sixteen-year-old Johanne (Ella Øverbye), who shares her feelings for her French teacher through voice-overs, powerfully captures the overwhelming experience of first love. At the same time, Johanne holds nothing back; she shares her diary openly with her mother and grandmother, the latter deeply impressed by her granddaughter's writing. Each woman responds in her own way, drawing from her own experiences and disappointments in love, creating remarkable dialogues across three generations. We witness natural and subtle conversations exposing good and lesser intentions. The director shows real sensitivity in exploring the inner world of his young protagonist, touching on compelling themes along the way that give the film added depth.