Can a filmmaker bridge the gap between his own trauma and his estranged daughters?
In short: Joachim Trier’s 2025 drama Sentimental Value examines the volatile intersection of art and family. When a struggling director attempts to turn his mother’s wartime suffering into a cinematic masterpiece, he forces his daughters to confront the generational wounds that have long kept them apart. It is a profound, visually stunning exploration.
The film centers on Gustav Borg, a director whose career is faltering as he attempts to revive his legacy. He returns to Norway to reclaim his ancestral home, intending to film a project inspired by his mother, Karin, a resistance fighter who died by suicide during the Nazi occupation. Gustav’s daughters, Nora and Agnes, harbor deep-seated resentment toward him, stemming from his long absences and personal struggles. The production becomes a crucible for their fractured relationships, particularly when Gustav attempts to cast his own grandson in the film and demands that Nora portray her own grandmother.
Trier, who co-wrote the script with Eskil Vogt, drew inspiration from his own family history, specifically his grandfather Erik Løchen’s experiences as a prisoner in concentration camps during the Second World War. This personal weight informs the film’s exploration of how trauma is inherited and projected onto others. The production itself mirrored this intensity; filming took place over 63 days in 2024, utilizing a mix of real locations in Oslo and sophisticated studio sets in Drammen that employed LED walls to manipulate time and atmosphere.
The film’s emotional resonance is heightened by the performances of Renate Reinsve and Stellan Skarsgård. Critics praised the work for its maturity, with the film earning universal acclaim and becoming the first Norwegian production to secure the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film. Beyond its narrative, the film is a technical achievement, shot primarily on 35mm film by cinematographer Kasper Tuxen, with a haunting score by Hania Rani. It stands as a testament to the idea that while art can be a source of conflict, it can also serve as a medium for reconciliation and mutual understanding between those who have been estranged for years.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Sentimental Value
- Also: Wikidata — Sentimental Value · CC0
- Also: Wikidata — Sentimental Value · CC0
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