While We Live (Mehdi Avaz, 2017) Denmark

Reviewed by Hollyn Heron. Viewed at Santa Barbara International Film Festival 2018

Mehdi Avaz (Lighter, Far) directs this beautiful, gut-wrenching film that delicately lingers on the cusp of drama and suspenseful, sprinkled with bits of comedy. While We Live is an exciting, and heartbreaking story,  flawlessly told through a non-linear narrative that writer Milad Avaz (Cloudstruck) beautifully constructs in such a manner as to pique curiosity from start to finish.

Veteran composer, Bent Fabricius-Bjerre (Flickering Lights, Cabin Boy) is able to create a dream-like ambience using haunting melodies that time perfectly with dialogue and emotions emitted by the actors.

Cinematographer, Daniel Cotroneo, masterfully crafts each scene, leaving no detail untouched by the story. Like a stage curtain being raised before a performance, the film opens with bay doors opening up to reveal a gentleman in a red tie staring into the void. As he looks into the camera, he gets a phone call, and immediately rushes out the door, not even stopping to pick up an item he accidently knocks off his desk. This scene sets in motion the chain reaction that entwines the lives of many people.

Sebastian Jessen (Flickering Lights) plays Kristian, a hard-working fisherman, ready to begin his life with his fiancee, Anne (Mia Jexen). That is until someone from his past comes knocking at his door to inform him that Peter, the man who was like a father to Kristian, is sick in the hospital. Kristian travels to be by Peter’s side, but he is met with hostility by his former girlfriend, Peter’s daughter Trine (Julie Christiansen). Angrier at Kristian is Peter’s wife, Hanne (Charlotte Munck) who blames him for a life-changing incident that devastated their family five years prior. Kristian wants to make amends, especially with Trine, who just wants answers as to why Kristian left her in the first place.

Intertwined with the melodrama of Kristian and Trine, we are introduced to Tobias (Nikolaj Groth), a teenager discovering romance for the first time before he leaves for college in the fall. While Tobias is busy chasing the popular girl at his school, he is suddenly made aware to the fact that his best friend Q (Julie Brochorst Andersen) has been in love with him, and quickly finds himself in a comedically awkward teenage love triangle.

While We Live is a remarkable story of family, loss, and love. The film would not have been what it is without the stunning performances by the actors. Julie Christiansen carries many of her scenes by bringing raw emotion to her character, and delivering a depiction that brings Trine to life. Her artistry displays her devotion to her character and casually makes you forget that you are watching a film. The chemistry between Christiansen and Sebastian Jessen is luminous, primarily in their emotional scenes, which are passionate, and tear-jerking.

While this film may move you to tears, it is an experience I highly recommend.