Etter den internasjonale premieren på A Prayer for the Dying og Árru (foto) under Berlinalen, kan filmskaperne puste ut. Responsen har vært god, med i hovedsak positive kritikker.

Bortsett fra en lunken anmeldelse i The Guardian, gir toneangivende bransjepublikasjoner som Hollywood Reporter, Variety og Screen Daily Dara debutfilmen til Dara Van Dusen oppløftende kritikker (du kan lese vårt intervju med Van Dusen her).

Varietys kritiker omtaler den som «an imposing, ascetic debut, braced by performances of formidable grit and commitment from Johnny Flynn and John C. Reilly».

Den norske filmen har sin handling fra byen Friendship i Wisconsin som i 1870 rammes av en pandemi. Når sykdommen sprer seg, brytes det sivile samfunnet ned.

«It’s a nervy, perceptive examination of the denial and fatalism toward which even community leaders can be inclined at moments of inescapable peril — an elemental, even Biblical, variation of the old horror-film trope that invites the audience’s queasy, helpless resistance to a character’s most patently self-destructive decisions», heter det videre I anmeldelsen.

Hollywood Reporters kritiker er også imponert og sammenlikner den med Oscar-aktuelle Train Dreams.

«You wait eons for a great tragic film set on the American frontier in the 19th century from a little-known director that features an outstanding male lead performance, a scene-stealing turn from a veteran character actor, and a forest fire — and wouldn’t you know it, two come along at once. Well, not quite at once, but just a little over a year apart… A Prayer for the Dying, similar to Train Dreams in all the ways listed above and just as good a film, debuts at Berlin in the newish Perspectives showcase, where it’s created a substantial buzz».

Screens kritiker er også positiv, selv om hun synes at filmskaperne burde holdt melodramaet i litt strammere tøyler.

«It’s not enough, however, to entirely derail A Prayer For The Dying, which remains an intriguing period piece and a striking calling card for Van Dusen».

Også Elle Sofe Saras (foto) samiske debutfilm Árru omtales som en utmerket debut i sideprogrammet Panorama. Screen er strålende fornøyd:

«A compelling family drama with bracing originality, not least in its use of traditional music and Sara’s background as a choreographer. A world premiere in Berlin’s Panorama should serve notice to distributors seeking to support exciting new voices in international cinema».

«Concise in its storytelling, Arru ultimately asks who is willing to break the shackles of the past, regardless of the personal cost. The screenplay by Johan Fasting and Sara builds towards a satisfying resolution, providing both Gaup Beaska and Nutti with space to shine as their characters find the strength to do the right thing».

Også Cineuropa er overbevist:

«A film that conveys a harsh and unique voice, paying tribute to ancestral traditions deeply rooted in nature while denouncing the external and internal threats weighing on a community struggling daily for its economic and spiritual survival.

It is above all through its style that the film stands out, as the filmmaker succeeds in her bold wager to integrate, in a wholly organic way, joik ritual chants, traditional dances and even a fascinating dreamlike sequence into a highly realistic narrative. The Sami spirit and cosmology do more than merely hover over this debut feature, which strikes the right note by perfectly conveying the modesty and depth of a people’s existence, resilient within a harsh and visually striking natural environment».