This week, “Nr 24” shot straight to the top of the box office with the best opening of the year for a Norwegian film. Five of the top ten films at the box office are Norwegian.
After its opening weekend, the Gunnar “Kjakan” Sønsteby film Nr. 24 has been seen by 90,000 moviegoers. This is more than double the number of viewers that the fall’s first war film, Quisling’s Last Days, had at the same point after its premiere, making it the best opening for a Norwegian film this year.
At the same time, it’s worth celebrating that five of the ten most-watched films are Norwegian. Jul med Astrid Lindgren, a short animated film by Qvisten Animation, premiered on the same day as Nr 24 and secured second place with over 35,000 attendees. Elskling holds firm at fifth place with nearly 100,000 visitors after four weeks, while the children’s films Todd & Super-Stella and Pulverheksa’s Magical Christmas are at ninth and tenth place with 18,000 and 5,000 visitors, respectively.
Todd & Super-Stella is particularly impressive, with strong numbers for what is a rare documentary for young children. And, of course, Quisling’s Last Days is still holding on at 11th place with over 173,000 attendees.
However, Nr 24 seems set to become the locomotive of Norwegian cinema moving forward, if the team behind the film is to be believed. They predict that Nr 24 will become the most-watched Norwegian film of the year, and they are likely correct.
Director John Andreas Andersen, who has been visiting cinemas across the country recently, reports powerful encounters with audiences spanning multiple generations.
– “I can honestly say I have never experienced anything like this. The feedback we’re getting from audiences about the film is overwhelming,” he says in a press release.
According to Andersen, parents and grandparents especially appreciate that the film invites discussion across generations:
– “It resonates with people that the film isn’t just a simple heroic tale of the past. The scenes where an older Gunnar is confronted by a student questioning the ruthless methods they used at the time spark meaningful conversations.”
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