In Norwegian writer-director Anders Emblem’s second feature film, A Human Position, a young journalist in a melancholic state finds new energy and meaning when she investigates a story about an asylum seeker.
Shot and set in the sleepy Norwegian coastal town of Ålesund, Asta (played by Amalie Ibsen Jensen, who also starred in Emblem’s 2018 feature debut, Hurry Slowly) is a young journalist who seems rather listless. Her unfocused stares, idle behaviour, loneliness and silence permeate the opening minutes, prompting us to wonder what’s behind her lethargy. Slowly, it’s revealed that Asta has suffered a trauma, from which we gather her physical healing has vastly outpaced her psychological healing.
In an effort to fill her days and distract herself with a semblance of normal life, Asta returns to her work as a local journalist. She half-heartedly covers everyday news pieces including sports, tourism, and a car accident, until she picks up the threads of a story about an asylum seeker who is being forcibly expelled from Norway after living and working there for ten years. The story invigorates Asta; she shows initiative, energy, and interest for the first time—albeit fairly subtly, in keeping with the film’s tone.
Everything in the film is treated softly and calmly. On paper, the film sounds much more vigorous than it is—dealing with hidden trauma, social justice issues, and a strained romance. In practice, the film is gentle and slow-paced with every facet of story, characters and filming. Emblem relies on long shots and a static camera, close-ups of the town’s nouveau art architecture, and scenic views overlooking the sea. We sometimes find Asta moving through the frame as a distant pinprick. A muted palette of greys and blues complement Asta’s state of mind and the film’s quiet tone.
The film’s tranquil nature is further served by Asta’s refreshingly comfortable relationship with her girlfriend, Live (Maria Agumaro). Although there is evidence of strain, given that we learn they’re sleeping separately and observe Asha shy away from Live’s advances, it’s more of a subtle understanding between them that stems from Asta’s trauma, something they’re dealing with together rather than an obstacle tearing them apart. They are so wonderfully comfortable with each other it’s soothing to observe. Many onscreen relationships play out explosively when confronted with conflict, so it’s refreshing to see one with such reassuring love and solace.
Bits of dry humour pop up every now and then, adding a twinkling charm to the story. Asta’s reentry into world and her investigation into the asylum seeker case leads her to refocus her gaze on life and her surroundings, providing more space for quiet humour, reflection, and hope. The film doesn’t delve far into the asylum seeker case, using it predominantly to further Asta’s shifting outlook on life and also hint at the greater issue at play, as we catch a glimpse of Asta’s two-page newspaper spread titled “Confronting Our Social Conscience.” But the film was never really about the investigation, as it’s a contemplative character portrait at heart.
A Human Position recently had its world premiere at the Tromsø film festival in Norway and was slated to have its international premiere at the International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) as part of its Bright Future programme until the spread of the Omicron variant forced the festival to move online with a slimmed-down selection of films. However, as part of the original IFFR selection, A Human Position is available on the festival’s press and industry platform. The Rotterdam film festival takes place online from 26 January to 6 February.