Staff Choice Opening Toast to friends

The bond of love and friendship are common elements in our human nature. We can easily conclude that they're two of the most essential requirements we experience as individuals. They are the glues that connect us. They keep us together, however they also render us vulnerable. They cause us to fear losing them as much as we would like to have they starting point. The task for filmmakers to document this conflict across its many ways is an enormous one, however in those very rare instances where a film tackles emotions that are fragile in a way that is honest, it's an effective tool to comprehend the experiences we have within our own lives. The moment is now for the Staff Pick premiere, Liv Karin Dahlstrom's "Women&Wine," a comedic investigation of self-destructed pride as it grapples with a dying friendship. The film won an award of the Grand Jury Prize at the 2017 Seattle International Film Festival (full information: I served as a member on the jurors), "Women&Wine" is both a charming and awkward as well as an emotional portrayal of a woman's desperate attempt to ensure the loyalty of her closest friend.

The movie begins with Turid (Marit Andreassen) and Signe (Jeanne Bee), two middle-aged female friends, who are planning the most extravagant birthday party to their best friend Grete (Turid Gunnes). A joke that was funny is turned into a perceived as a snide comment which leaves Turid is worried that she's no anymore considered a friend. The lack of confidence can hinder confidence and hilariously cringeworthy behavior ensues. A sensitive and authentic portrayal of friendships between humans and animals, the film is a journey across the entire spectrum of charming humorous and silly, to awkward and heartbreaking. As per Dahlstrom who wrote the script along with Thorkild Schröpf, the exact incident occurred at a party that was hosted by a trusted friend, which led them to contemplate the "humor in the insecurity and vulnerability people seek to hide when they protect themselves from difficult social situations. We both are very enthralled by the human condition and what happens when our feelings to prevail over rational reasoning." In the case of Turid and overruled by the notion that Grete does not value their friendship, the gathering is an attempt to express their affection to climb up the social ladder, tripping across herself and others while on their way.

The subject of jealousy and friendship might look familiar or like the perfect recipe for a movie about harmful female friendships, Dahlstrom intends to avoid melodrama and adopts an approach that is naturalistic and focuses on the dynamic performances of her characters and their emotional range. The film is influenced by the daily moments of small occurrences Dahlstrom determined that "the camera should take the lead of the actors and follow the movement rather than the opposite approach." As a result the film smoothly transitions between scenes, revealing how far we'll go for our family and friends and also our pride.

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