The Snow Sister

Julian is ten and loves Christmas. But this year nobody at home is preparing anything. His sister died last year and his family has not recovered; the decorations are not brought out, no tree goes up and nobody mentions the date. Julian goes out. In the street he meets a girl called Hedvig. She lives in a big old house, wears a red coat and is even keener on Christmas than he is. The two become friends. Julian goes there every day. There is something about Hedvig he does not know. Cecilie A. Mosli directs. Mudit Gupta, Celina Meyer Hovland and Jan Sælid are in the cast. It is a Norwegian production. The source is Maja Lunde's novel. Lunde is a much read writer in Norway and her books have been translated into many languages. The film was made for a streaming platform and released at Christmas. The matter it treats is a child's position inside a grieving family; nobody talks to Julian and he does not ask. Winter and snow work inside the narrative; the use of colour is markedly different between the two houses. The narrative closes on a surprise and signals it early. The film is aimed at a family audience but the register is sad and death is discussed directly. Its limit is predictability; the outcome is clear early and the narrative proceeds close to a shape. Who it is for: viewers who like Scandinavian family films and Christmas narratives. Who it is not for: it is sad, predictable, and heavy for small children.