Festival favorite animated short The Marathon Diary, produced by Mikrofilm (Norway) and directed by Hanne Berkaak, has made its free online streaming debut on Vimeo.
The Marathon Diary is a surreal, allegorical tale about the coldest race on Earth, set in the harsh, snowy landscape of Northern Scandinavia. The short’s heroine, Always Last, embarks on an adventurous marathon across the mythic expanse of Lapland. But she soon discovers that the run is not a straight line from start to finish. It’s not about winning or losing the race — the true risk is losing oneself.
Premiered in 2015, the seven-minute short was an official selection of more than 50 festivals around the world, including Clermont-Ferrand, Encounters, Chicago International Children’s Film Festival and Flickerfest.
The online release comes as the studio has greenlit a new collaboration with Berkaak for an ambitious short project, Frydenlund Hair Parlour. Based on a story from the director’s family, the film will explore the effects of war on the everyday lives orbiting a salon in a remote Norwegian city. It’s an imaginative, humorous and surrealist film about how women stick together and make ends meet, as the world as they know it is coming to an end. It also shows how brutal it is being 17 years old and having your future and ambition put on hold. Mikrofilm is co-producing with Belgium’s Vivi Film (The Triplets of Belleville, The Secret of Kells).
Mikrofilm and Vivi are also currently co-producing a feature film, Titina, directed by Mikrofilm founder Kajsa Næss.
The Marathon Diary from Mikrofilm AS on Vimeo.
