The Lady of Hamre (Fruen pa Hamre)

Running time: N/A

Morten Korch's much-loved novel, The Lady of Hamre, translates beautifully into a sun-drenched, idyll and fiery drama. Set in the late nineteenth century, long before women's liberation, it is the visually bold and stylized portrayal of a woman's life and fate as the heiress to the family farm. Bente makes a promise to her father, on his deathbed, to marry a neighbor's son and to carry on the family farm. Unfortunately for Bente, her husband, Gorme, is loutish and cruel and tries to take over the farm on his own terms. What Gorme hasn't taken into account, however, is that Bente has an inner strength -- inherently honest and good -- that even he may have trouble matching. Yet there is a larger game afoot in which both are pawns. First-time director Katrine Wiedemann charges onto the screen with The Lady of Hamre, having made a tremendous impact as one of the most talented personalities of the Danish stage. Wiedemann has created a sharp and insightful drama, rich in character and texture. This, combined with an engrossing performance by Bodil Jorgensen (Lars von Trier's The Idiots) as Bente, makes for a stirring story of determination and potency. Reviewed by Ed Soohoo