09/01/2025 - The festival, unspooling from 21-26 January, aims to reflect the fact that Nordic cinema can be as dark as it is hilarious, and sometimes both at once

From 21-26 January, audiences can come to Cinéma Galeries in Brussels, which will be transformed into a place where invincible youth meets grief and loss (When the Light Breaks [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Rúnar Rúnarsson
film profile] by Rúnar Rúnarsson), genre films are not what they seem (Handling the Undead [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] by Thea Hvistendahl), activism is a fairy tale (Once Upon a Time in a Forest [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Virpi Suutari
film profile] by Virpi Suutari), animation grabs you by the balls (Spermageddon [+see also:
film review
film profile] by Tommy Wirkola and Rasmus A Sivertsen), and the Soviets may or may not have launched a nuclear missile near a quiet Finnish village (The Missile [+see also:
trailer
film profile] by Miia Tervo). 

Just to make sure that audiences get to explore every angle, the Polarise Nordic Film Nights festival is also showcasing shorts from Europe’s most Northern film gathering (the Tromso International Film Festival) and winding the clock back 75 years with an anniversary screening of Ingmar Bergman’s classic comedy Smiles of a Summer Night. 

The opening film on Tuesday 21 January will be When the Light Breaks by Rúnar Rúnarsson. The sun never sets in summer in Iceland. One never-ending day breaks, accompanying the emotions of a group of youngsters who experience loss and sorrow for the first time. Rúnarsson confirms his extraordinary talent for delicately capturing every nuance of human feeling. He captures the weather of the soul at life’s crucial moments. This masterful film enjoyed its world premiere at Cannes and has already captivated juries and audiences at over 30 festivals across the globe.

The closing film on Sunday 26 January will be The Missile by Miia Tervo. This absurd Finnish dramedy blends political satire with heartfelt comedy. It explores (international) borders and (personal) boundaries through the empowering story of a single mother who finds the strength to stay out of an abusive relationship, gaining independence and self-respect in the middle of an international media frenzy. The action is based on a topical historical event. Some 40 years ago, a Soviet missile crashed into Finnish Lapland, sending shockwaves through the local community and drawing a flock of international journalists to this remote Nordic region. 

You can check out the full programme here.