Three Film i Väst co-productions selected by the Berlin International Film Festival

Director Daniel Joseph Borgman's debut feature film has been selected for the Forum and the Generation selection at the upcoming Berlinale.

The 63^rd edition of the Berlin International Film Festival will commence on the 7^th of February with three of Film i Väst’s co-productions taking part. Director Daniel Joseph Borgman’s debut feature film The Weight of Elephants has been selected for the Forum section, and holds the unique distinction of being a cross section film, also screening in Generation. Joining Borgman’s feature film are the short films The Yearning Room by Minka Jakerson and Eat Lunch by Sanna Lenken, both competing in Generation 14plus.

Daniel Joseph Borgman’s feature film The Weight of Elephants is about Adrian, 11, abandoned by his parents at an early age, lives with his Gran and his damaged Uncle Rory in a quiet, little New Zealand town. When three children go missing in a neighbouring town, everything in Adrian’s world begins to change. His best friend, Clinton, forsakes him for the cool boys at school, his uncle starts acting even weirder than ever and a mysterious family moves in across the street. 
Adrian finds a friend in his new neighbour, Nicole, 11, a wild, strange young girl with a mysterious past, but he struggles to maintain a foothold in a world where the ground beneath him is constantly shifting. Adrian looks for those around him to provide him with safety and stability, but what he discovers is that the strength that he is looking for can only come from within.
The Weight of Elephants is produced by Leanne Saunders, Severe Features and Katja Adomeit, Zentropa and co-produced by Madeleine Ekman, Zentropa International Sweden and Jessica Ask, Film i Väst. A great deal of the film’s post-production was completed in Trollhättan.

Sanna Lenken’s short film Eat Lunch is a film about eating lunch when a lunch is the worst thing you know. 15 year old Klara is about to eat lunch with four other youngsters at the Eating Disorder Clinic under supervision of nurses. They have 30 minutes to eat up.
“I wanted to show one strong situation of a person with an eating disorder's life, and expose the power in the thoughts of not eating. The angst and the will to control life is universal, it is something everyone can relate to. It is about comparing yourself to others and controlling the reality in a destructive way. It is a huge frustration that should explode outward instead of inward” says Sanna Lenken.
Eat lunch is produced by Annika Rogell at Story in co-production with Film i Väst and Dagsljus with financial support from Svenska Filminstitutet and Film Stockholm/Filmbasen.

Minka Jakerson’s short film The Yearning Room is a romantic sex mystery that explores the boundaries between the body and the surrounding world. Anne spends the summer at her friend Julia’s summer house. This is the summer that Anne meets Olle. This is the summer that Julia betrays her. This is the summer that Anne commits the crime. Or was it an accident? A dream? As Julia’s disloyalty grows on Anne, her need of restoration is awakened. Somewhere between fantasy and reality, Anne regains her sense of self in the present.
The Yearning Room is produced by Annika Hellström at Cinenic Film and co-produced by Film i Väst with support  by Svenska Filminstitutet, Konstnärsnämnden, Film i Halland, Shoot & Post and Cloudberry Sound.