01/08/2002 - Musik for bryllup og begravelser is the first Norwegian feature to attend the 'Mostra' in 16 years

“This feels so good. It’s what I’ve always dreamt of”. In an interview with Norwegian daily, “Aftenposten” Unni Straume spoke of her delight in her film, Musik for bryllup og begravelser (Music for weddings and funerals) being one of the 17 films selected to take part in the Controcorrente (Against the Mainstream) competition at Venice 59. Musik for bryllup og begravelser is the first Norwegian feature to have received this honour in 16 years. Straume felt that “Controcorrente” was more suited to her film than the main Venice 59 Competition because “the problem with the festival’s main program is that you are competing against more obviously commercial films”. The Director is no newcomer to major international festivals: Avsporing, a short was selected for Cannes in 1993 followed, in 1994 by a feature titled Dromspel. However Venice holds a special attraction for Straume given that she spends part of every year in Italy, “my second home. I would like to do more work here as well as in Norway”.