Staff Choose The Premiere A toast to friends

Love and friendship are universal elements of the human condition, and it's straightforward to state that they're our most basic needs as human beings. They're the bonds that bind. They are what keep us connected, but they also make us vulnerable. They cause us to be afraid of losing them just as we would like to keep them initially. Filmmakers' task is to capture this duality with all of its many forms is enormous, yet in rare cases where a film tackles the fragility of human feelings in a way that is real, it is an effective way to explore the personal experiences of each person. The result is the present Staff Pick Premiere, Liv Karin Dahlstrom's "Women&Wine," a comedic analysis of pride and how it can be hurt when it comes up against an eroding friendship. The film was awarded the Grand Jury Prize at the 2017 Seattle International Film Festival (full disclosure: I was part of the jury), "Women&Wine" is simultaneously a fascinating, disturbing, and yet familiar portrait of one woman's plight to maintain her closest acquaintance.

The film starts with Turid (Marit Andreassen) and Signe (Jeanne Bee) Two women in their mid-twenties, who are planning a surprise birthday party to their mutual acquaintance Grete (Turid Gunnes). A prank that was enjoyable turns into an alleged infraction that leads to Turid worries that she's no longer thought of as a friend. The jealousy could get in the way of confidence, and a hilariously embarrassing act is the result. A sensitive and honest depiction of human friendships and relationships, the film traverses the spectrum of beautiful and silly from awkward and sad. Based on Dahlstrom who co-wrote the script along with Thorkild Schroepf the same incident occurred during a party hosted by a close friend which led them to think about the "humor in the insecurity and vulnerability people seek to conceal when trying to shield themselves from difficult social situations. We both are very enthralled by our humanity and the consequences that occur when we allow our emotions to prevail over rational reasoning." When it comes to Turid and lulled by the notion that Grete no longer values their relationship, the occasion is a desperate attempt to establish their relationship and climb the friendship ladder in which she slips on Grete and her guests during the course.

The themes of jealousy and friendship might appear familiar or look like a perfect combination to make a film dealing the issue of unhealthy friendships between women, Dahlstrom deliberately eschews melodrama in favor of a naturalistic, wholesome approach which focuses on her actors' dynamic performance and the variety of feelings. Inspired by everyday scenes that have a small amount of time in them, Dahlstrom decided that "the camera needs to follow the actors as they perform their roles and not vice versa around." In the end the film swoops between different scenes, showing how far we go to safeguard our friends, and also our delight.

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