Granny’s Dancing on the Table
Description
Taking place within the quiet serenity of the dense Swedish woods, isolated from civilization, this intense drama delivers a harrowing tale of abuse and psychological imprisonment and the power of imagination to withstand painful circumstances. Deprived of any shred of independence by her zealot of a father (Lennart Jähkel), 13-year-old Eini (Blanca Engström) succumbs each day to the harsh realities of her life and yearns for escape. In a parallel story told with enchanting stop-motion animation, she reflects on the history of her dysfunctional family, reflecting on her grandmother’s life and travels as a beacon for some hope. Hanna Sköld’s unsettling drama, partially funded through a Kickstarter campaign, offers a unique view of the world that is both haunting and visually engrossing. Serene images of the overgrown forest, poetically captured by cinematographer Ita Zbroniec-Zajt and complemented by Giorgio Giampà’s minimalist score, contrast with the ribald story of Eini’s grandmother and her adventures in America. Granny’s Dancing on the Table is wildly creative and thought provoking, exploring an intergenerational story of women endeavoring to escape oppressive environments. —Chad Liffmann
Swedish writer/director Hanna Sköld crafted elements of Granny’s Dancing on the Table‘s plot from stories provided by Kickstarter supporters, and this wasn’t the first time she’s used her community of fans to help—her first feature, Nasty Old People (2009), was released on Pirate Bay and was accompanied by requests for donations with fans organizing screenings in their hometowns. Granny’s Dancing on the Table also isn’t the only time Sköld has operated against the norm, as she toys with the confines of a traditionally male-dominated genre and uses female characters to deliver honest but unnerving observations of a male-driven society.
Trailer
//player.vimeo.com/video/158107690?autoplay=1Film Details
Language Swedish
Year 2015
Premiere US
Runtime 89
Country Sweden/Denmark
Director Hanna Sköld
Producer Helene Granqvist
Writer Hanna Sköld
Editor Patrik Forsell
Cinematographer Ita Zbroniec-Zajt
Music Giorgio Giampà
Cast Blanca Engström, Lennart Jähkel