The Nordic & Baltic Oscar Contenders series at Scandinavia House returns this season with select in-house and virtual screenings of films chosen by the Nordic & Baltic countries to compete for the Oscar nomination for the Best International Feature Film. On December 9 at Scandinavia House, see the Swedish film Clara Sola (dir. Nathalie Álvarez Mesén, Sweden/Costa Rica/Belgium/Germany, 2021), Costa Rica’s official nomination for the 94th Annual Academy Awards. Following the screening, director Nathalie Álvarez Mesén will present a film Q&A.

In a remote village in Costa Rica, 40-year-old Clara endures a repressively religious and withdrawn life under the command of her mother, where her uncanny affinity for creatures large and small allows Clara to find solace in the natural world. As Clara’s younger niece approaches her quinceañera, tension builds within the family, igniting Clara’s sexual and mystical awakening and a journey to free herself from the conventions that have dominated her life.

“A strange and mesmerizing tale”—Variety
“Tinged with magical realism and deeply immersed in the sensory world… a vivid reminder that even a matriarchy can be paternalistic”—THR

Tickets to this event must be purchased in advance online at the link above; film screenings will take place in Victor Borge Hall. All attendees are required to present proof of vaccination upon arrival in compliance with New York State government; read more here. Attendees are required to follow all Scandinavia House safety protocols, including wearing masks during the program and observing social distancing rules in signage. Please read our full safety protocols here.

This screening has been supported by the Consulate General of Sweden, New York and is presented with Oscilloscope Laboratories and Visit Costa Rica.

ABOUT THE DIRECTOR

Nathalie Álvarez Mesén is a Costa Rican-Swedish screenwriter/director. She started her career in physical theater in Costa Rica before pursuing her B.F.A. degree in Mime Acting at the Stockholm University of the Arts in Sweden. Nathalie later graduated from Columbia University’s Graduate Film Program in NYC with an M.F.A. in Film Directing/Screenwriting. An alumna of the Berlinale Talents, TIFF Filmmaker Lab, and NYFF Artist Academy, Nathalie’s shorts have screened at film festivals all over the world. 

Her short, Filip, won Best Film Under 15 Minutes at the 2016 Palm Springs Shortfest, and Asunder screened at the 2016 Telluride Film Festival. She also co-wrote Entre tú y Milagros, winner of the Orizzonti Award for Best Short in the Venice Film Festival 2020. Currently, Nathalie is developing her second feature, The Wolf Will Tear Your Immaculate Hands, in the Torino ScriptLab 2021.