Staff Choose Opening A toast to friendship

The bonds of friendship and love are common elements in the human condition. It's simple to conclude that they're two of the most fundamental needs we have as individuals. These are the bonds which bind us. They make us whole but also make us fragile. They make us fear losing them as much as we would like to have them in the initial in the first place. The task for filmmakers to record this duality in all its countless forms is a daunting one, however in those rare occasions when a work tackles emotions that are fragile with honesty, it becomes an effective instrument to understand the experiences we have in our lives. We're now in the Staff Pick premiere, Liv Karin Dahlstrom's "Women&Wine," a comedic investigation of self-destructed pride as it confronts a fading 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 both a charming and awkward, and ultimately an evocative portrait of a woman's desperate effort to hang the friendship of her best friend.

The movie opens by introducing Turid (Marit Andreassen) and Signe (Jeanne Bee), two middle-aged female friends, who are planning an extravagant birthday celebration for their common friend Grete (Turid Gunnes). A prank that was fun is turned into a perceived insult, and Turid worries that she's no longer thought of as a friend. confidence is a hindrance to trust and hilariously cringe-worthy behavior ensues. A sensitive and honest portrayal of friendships between humans, the film runs across the spectrum from charming and silly to awkward and tragic. According to Dahlstrom who co-wrote the script along with Thorkild Schroepf the same incident occurred at a party hosted by a close friend, which led them to contemplate the "humor in the insecurity and vulnerability people seek to hide when they protect themselves from socially difficult situations. We both are very enthralled by our human nature and the consequences that occur when we allow our emotions to override our rational thinking." For Turid and blinded by the notion that Grete no longer values their friendship, the party is a desperate attempt to show their love to climb up the social ladder, tripping over herself and other people on the way.

Although the subject matter of friendship and jealousy might appear familiar or seem like the perfect recipe for a movie about harmful female friendships Dahlstrom has a clear intention to avoid melodrama and adopts an approach that is naturalistic and focuses on the dynamic performance of her actors and emotional range. Inspired by the everyday moments of little occurrences, Dahlstrom decided that "the camera should follow the actors and the action rather than the other way around." As a result the film seamlessly moves between scenes, revealing the lengths we'll reach to keep our friends, and also our pride.