Norway wins first Oscar with ‘Sentimental Value’

Joachim Trier's "Sentimental Value" claimed the Oscar for Best International Feature Film at the 98th Academy Awards on Sunday night, delivering Norway its first-ever win in the category after nearly seven decades of submissions and six prior nominations.6abc+2

A Historic Night for Norwegian Cinema

"This film depicts a highly dysfunctional family," Trier said during his acceptance speech at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood. "It stands in stark contrast to the warmth I feel with this wonderful group behind me."wral

The Norwegian family drama, which stars Renate Reinsve, Stellan Skarsgård, and Elle Fanning, explores the fractured dynamics between a filmmaker father and his two daughters. The father, who has long prioritized his career over family, attempts to reconcile with his children through the making of a new film after the death of their mother. Co-written by Trier and Eskil Vogt, the film arrived at the Oscars with nine nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress for Reinsve, and supporting nominations for Skarsgård and Fanning — a tally surpassed by only three non-English-language films in Oscar history.yahoo+3

In his speech, Trier referenced American author and civil rights advocate James Baldwin, saying "all adults are responsible for all children," and urged, "Let's not support politicians who disregard this responsibility."wral

A Long Road to the Podium

Norway first submitted a film to the international category in 1957, when "Nine Lives" earned its debut nomination. Over the following decades, five more Norwegian films were nominated — "The Pathfinder" in 1987, "The Other Side of Sunday" in 1996, "Elling" in 2001, "Kon-Tiki" in 2012, and Trier's own "The Worst Person in the World" in 2021 — but none took home the prize. "Sentimental Value" defeated entries from Brazil ("The Secret Agent"), France ("It Was Just an Accident," directed by Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi), Spain ("Sirāt"), and Tunisia ("The Voice of Hind Rajab").wikipedia+2

Awards Season Dominance

The win capped a dominant awards season for the film, which premiered at Cannes last May to a 19-minute standing ovation and won the festival's Grand Prix. It went on to sweep the European Film Awards for best film, director, and screenplay, and claimed the BAFTA for Best Film Not in the English Language in February. By the time Oscar voting closed, Gold Derby odds placed "Sentimental Value" at a 73 percent probability of winning the category.hollywoodreporter+2