Directed by:
Ali AbbasiCinematography:
Nadim CarlsenComposer:
Martin DirkovCast:
Eva Melander, Eero Milonoff, Jörgen Thorsson, Viktor Åkerblom, Matti Boustedt, Andreas Kundler, Ibrahim Faal, Henrik Johansson, Sten Ljunggren, Ann Petrén (more)VOD (1)
Plots(1)
Tina is a customs agent with a nose for trouble. She can literally smell human emotions, which is a handy talent for sniffing out suspicious border crossers. But when a mysterious male traveller's scent confounds her, she's faced with hugely disturbing insights about who she is and what she wants. (MUBI)
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Reviews (8)
Border has a detective storyline that strays into festival-movie bizarreness with diverse thoughtgerms.
Despite what seems like elements of fantasy, we remain firmly rooted in reality, which makes
it all the more frightening and disturbing. The creator calls it “Nordic realism”. It is a psychological,
physical and, in some places, perhaps even repulsive experience for some, but always socially
reflective and comrehensible from all angles. Plus, there’s some comic relief, which is probably
deliberate, but I’m not sure. [Cannes]
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My first impressions of the film were very mixed. Interesting story, interesting characters, very beautiful style, but something was missing. After revealing important insights to everything that happens to the two main characters, my experience of the film was strong. The fact that we don't know these facts from the beginning of the film is tremendously cool, because the film allows you to wake up your thoughts and experience Tina's story through her eyes - in not knowing. I give tremendous praise to the film's conclusion - or rather, the metaphorical last third of the film - for its engaging take on an ordinary story.
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Border is one of the most bizarre pieces I've seen recently. The weirdest genre mash-up you could ever hope for. A Scandinavian fairy tale about two creatures in love at the intersection of the human and supernatural worlds, with a detective plot and a pervasive critique of human society. The makeup artists did a really good and frighteningly convincing job creating one of the most unattractive couples in film history. Also interesting was the concept of troll mythology, which made for more than one WTF moment. It's definitely a noteworthy film, and I can understand any rating for it.
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LGBTT..? Nordic noir, supernatural horror, and realism—both magical and social—layered onto a love story and a quest for identity as part of a minority. Ali Abbasi, trolling the audience, designed it this way because practically anything can follow a love story, but it must be strong enough to support it. It’s a pity that the sun didn’t come out during the erotic scene; if it had been a rock, it would have made it even more intense.
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It’s important you find out the least possible about this film prior to watching it. Knowing the background of the characters in advance would definitely ruin the surprises in store for you. With its raw repulsive scenes and slow tempo, Border offers a really bizarre and grim experience that will put off more viewers than it will gain. The filming is subtle and the acting performance, splendid (kudos to the central duo of actors). That being said, a swifter pace of the storyline wouldn’t hurt. My appreciation is scaled down due to the long-winded ending, yet I enjoyed the film’s singularity. [KVIFF 2018]
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