Den sidste viking

“He who has a ship, can do what he wants. The ship sets him free. Losing his ship condemns him to thraiidom…”

I have always been interested in history. Native Americans, Knights, Pirates and Vikings were the frequent heroes in the books I used to read as a kid. When I was about ten, my dad drew a poster for me with big Viking ships on it and for quite a while it had a central place on the walls of my room. Those memories became the reason I felt a familiar tingling when seeing the DVD cover of the Danish film The Last Viking. I realized that tingling was an eagerness for adventure.

The film focuses on the coming of age experience of Harald – a young Viking boy (Holger Thaarup) who dreams of becoming a warrior and merchant just like his father, not realizing that in life :

“Axes and swords treat old warriors and green boys alike”

This is an excellent metaphor which is as valid nowadays as it was in the time of the Vikings. Harald’s carefree life is transformed into a drama of life and death when the mentally unstable king of the country decides to confiscate the ships along the coast for his army. The importance which ships had in the Vikings culture is clearly shown when Harold’s dad refuses to give up his ship. Instead, he takes off to get reinforcements from a group of insurgents, leaving Harald, his mentally retarded brother, his mother and the rest of the village as easy victims, because the king, as revenge, sends a group of warriors to punish their disobedience. Having read my fair share of Viking books (both for pleasure and at school) maybe here is the place to say that the film is not historically correct. But the excellent cinematography and the attention to detail such as the costumes and the Viking ships and habitat contribute to the educational value of Den sidste viking .

When the king’s soldiers come to the village, Harald’s dad is already gone, along with his ship, and the villagers offer to build another ship for the king if they are spared by the warriors. Harald is not happy about the new situation as, being a free spirited boy, he can’t stand being ordered around n

or bear the changes that occur in the village. Soon he learns an important life lesson:

“Things in life are not always what they seem”

Harald tries to resist the invaders, hoping that his dad will return and save them all. When this doesn’t happen, the boy embarks on a journey whose goal changes in the process. It becomes the most important goal a person can have in his life – to find his own self.

The cast did a good job of portraying their characters, especially the young protagonist Holger Thaarup, whose performance was especially convincing. You may see him in another Danish film called Drengen der gik baglæns where he also delivers an outstanding performance.

The Last Viking was released in 1997 and is directed by Jesper W. Nielsen. It’s Nielsen’s feature film debut. Nielsen attended the Danish Film School and his work has earned him accolades for his distinctive and personal style in directing films for children and adolescents (Fans of coming of age movies should write down his name).

The moviecan be categorized as an adventure/drama about freedom, love, oppression and hardship in an uncertain and cruel world. It is a serious, dark movie packed with intense scenes and valuable life lessons. I do not hesitate to name it a masterpiece of the coming of age genre.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EiN5R4MdT9c

“When a man fights, he becomes another person.Runs round and round. the screams.
Hears himself scream.Feels the blood on his face.Tastes it.He forgets why..”

Title : The Last Viking (Den sidste viking)

Director: Jesper W. Nielsen

Release year: 1997, Danmarks Radio

Cast: Holger Thaarup, Rene Hansen,Moa Lagercrantz, Marika Lagercrantz, Bjorn Floberg, Kim Bodnia, Erik Wedersoe, Per Oscarsson, Ricky Danielsson, Bjarne Henriksen, Troels Trier, Elo Sjogren and others

Janus Dissing Rathke

One day in the past year I was watching some television and suddenly I was in the middle of this really touching and kind of emotional film Drømmen. Since the 2006 movie’s debut, in which he plays Frits, 18-year-old Janus Dissing Rathke has appeared in two other movies: Der var engang en dreng, in the role of Kalle and Julefrokosten, in the role of Allan. Overall, the cast in these movies do a great job, but credit goes out especially to this talented young actor.

Drømmen (We Shall Overcome) is a Danish movie from 2006, directed by Niels Arden Opley, who also wrote the screenplay with Steen Bille. The film reflects the youth rebellion of the time and young people’s struggle against authority. The movie won several awards, inter alia Robert award for the Danish films in 2006 and 2007.

Story: it is a drama about a boy who’s inspired by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and challenges repressive school authority in the Denmark of 1969. When he hears a tape of King, young Frits begins to dream about a school without any fear, as he is the victim of brutal headmaster Lindum-Svendsen. But his faith in justice falters. His fervent admiration for Martin Luther King is in the power to rebel against the seemingly unassailable authority. Not only his courage is put to the test, but also his parents, classmates and teachers are forced to take a stand. Furthermore he is enthusiastic about rock and roll, his new hippie teacher and the optimism of a generation.

http://youtu.be/jo4n1qoUn3k

Der var engang en dreng is a Danish movie from 2006 directed by Steen Rasmussen and Michael Wikke. The complete English title is: There once was a boy – who had a sister with wings. The film is a modern fairy tale with music and it targets the whole family.

Story: life becomes troublesome when 10-year-old Kalle’s newborn sister has a birth defect on her back resembling wings. Only he sees the true miracle of his sister’s odd appendages. When she is sent to the renowned Plastic Palace Clinic of cosmetic surgery for an amputation, Kalle sets out on a rescue mission. On the road, he meets Alf, a reclusive mechanic, who agrees to help. Together, they take off in Alf’s vintage Cadillac in a race against time through an autumn-colored world of song and dance.

Julefrokosten is a hilarious Danish comedy, by the director of the 2008 Danish film Blå mænd (Blue Men), Rasmus Heide. The authors are Heide and Thomas Glud. The film continues in the comedic style of the earlier Blue Men and several of the actors are in both films, inter alia, Mick Øgendahl, Søren Malling and Thure Lindhardt. The film premiered in Danish cinemas on November 6th, 2009.

Filmography :

1. Julefrokosten (2009) …. Allan
2. Der var engang en dreng (2006) (as Janus Rathke) …. Kalle
… aka Skymaster (International: English title)
… aka Skymaster: A Flying Family Fairytale (Europe: English title)
3. Drømmen (2006) …. Frits
… aka We Shall Overcome (International: English title)

Self:

1. Drømmen – en instruktørs rejse (2006) (TV) …. Himself/Actor

Source: imdb.com and wikipedia.com

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The article above is guest contribution of :

Jonas — http://twitter.com/electrrricity

Alyssa Shouse

Alyssa Shouse has the perfect pop voice. I was truly amazed at how well it fits into this style of music. I have listened to her sing various songs and she fits right in with some of the rising stars of pop. In the video, above, she sings Here We Go Again by Demi Lovato. She does a remarkable job with it and has the potential to easily follow in Demi’s foot steps.

Alyssa has been singing for quite some time. She says she started when she was two years old, when she would be pushed around in her stroller in stores and start singing Man I Feel Like a Woman by Shania Twain, “very loudly” she adds. Alyssa did her first talent show at her school when she was eight. She won her first talent contest in 2007 at the local Teen Idol, then went on to win another Teen Idol in 2008. In 2009, she was the winner at the county fair talent show where she lives. In February of 2009, she began playing the guitar, thus adding another dimension to her incredible talent.

I am not the only one who believes in her. For the short time her YouTube channel has been up, she has already racked up over a quarter million views and her fan base is growing rapidly (of which I am now a part). She says her favorite two singers are Michael Jackson and Mariah Carey. She likes their unique voices, saying whenever they sing you know who it is.

Not only is she working to make her dreams come true, but now she is helping others with theirs. She does a contest called Winter Contest in which her fans can put together a video, singing songs to see their talent as well. Some want to do one, but are scared she says. But she takes the time to work with them to overcome their fears. This was very impressive to me. Anyone who helps another person, whatever the reason, has already gained success in my eyes. I have no doubt that she will achieve everything she dreams of in life.

Hope and Glory (1987)

Hope and Glory is a British and American made film, written and directed by John Boorman. It was based on his own life experiences growing up in Blitz, London during WWII.

The film tells the story of the Rowan family: 10 year old Billy (Sebastian Rice Edwards), his younger sister Sue, older sister Dawn and his parents, Grace and Clive. Billy is a very imaginitive and adventurous boy who often imagines himself in the war. In the story, Clive goes off to war leaving Grace to take care of everything back home (and she has her hands full). Just as the first bombs start to fall, Billy and family run outside, acting as if it was a big fireworks show — laughing and pointing, especially Billy who was completely amazed.

Billy, like the rest of the kids, loved finding shrapnel. One day while Billy was searching for some, he ran into a group of boys. They didn’t hit it off at first, but soon they invite him into their little gang. To them, a bombed house is a playground. Finding shrapnel and destroying whatever is left is like a game to them — that is, until Billy finds them at his house after it had burned. Then it became personal for Billy. He let the head of the gang know, real quick. Billy’s mom and sisters watched, not caring how much Billy punched the other boy.

As for the rest of Billy’s family — his older sister, Dawn, had a habit of sneaking out at night to meet up with a soldier boy she had met, while his little sister, Sue, often tagged along on Billy’s adventures. And then there is Grandpa, a drunken, hateful old coot who doesn’t seem to have any friends. Most of the family doesn’t like him, but Billy finds a way to connect with him through the game of cricket .

This film was a true joy to see as it has a little bit of everything in it. There’s lots of “boys will be boys” fights and adventurous, but harmless, peeping. It has humor, bonding, and yes, even heartbreak — when Dawn falls for a soldier who has to leave for war. I’ve never seen a film quite like this before. Oh, I’ve seen many films depicting life during the war, but none quite as adventurous. I have to take my hat off to the director on this one. It was a brilliant idea, very creative. The cast did a great job. I couldn’t pull myself away and hated when it ended. I wanted to keep watching. There is so much in this film that I can’t begin to tell it all here. If I had to describe it in one word it would be –DELIGHTFUL. I highly recommend it.

Leo Howard

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rvHQdK-UC6M

Leo Howard, age 12 , was born in Newport Beach , CA. Leo is a remarkable young actor, one you’re really going to have to keep an eye on. Leo is making a name for himself. He has his own show on the Disney Channel called Leo Little’s Big Show — doing interviews and DVD reviews.

He has four films under his belt: Aussie and Ted’s Great Adventure (Eric Brooks), Shorts (Laser Short), G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra playing the part of young Snake Eyes and a new one, Logan, in which he plays the lead role (Logan Hoffman). It is currently in post-production. Playing the role of young Snake Eyes, he got to show off all of his skills, not only his acting abilities, but he even did his own stunts as well. Training for the role wasn’t hard for this young man.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0iN2NPHSHDc

Leo holds a black belt in Shorin Ryu style karate. By the time he was 8 years old, he had won three world championships. Then he moved into extreme martial arts. If you would like to see him in action you can. He belongs to a group called Sideswipe. They put on performances around the country a few times per year. They have not yet put up their schedule for 2010, but you can watch for when they’ll be appearing on their website www.sideswipepro.com

This is a remarkable young man. Check him out.

Yatharth Ratnum Rastogi

Yatharth Ratnum Rastogi -a young treble from India

I am absolutely astonished by the young talents that exist in this world, sharing their talent with devotion, passion and determination – that one could only appreciate. A few days ago, in an e-mail sent via the contact form of this blog, I found out about Yatharth Ratnum Rastodi . At the tender age of 12 – he is a big star in India (I won’t hesitate comparing him with what Declan Galbraith was in Europe), having thousands of devoted fans.

Yatharth, who is from the holy city of Varanasi, on the banks of the Ganges in the north-east of India, was a contestant on a TV show from Mumbai called “Sa Re Ga Ma Pa L’il Champs”. A children’s version of a cross between (“<your country here>’s Got Talent” and “<your country here> Idol”). The Grand Finale was held last October 29 in a huge sports arena in Mumbai. Yatharth only came in second place out of the remaining three contestants, which greatly surprised his many Indian fans.

Here is a clip from his participation in the Sa Re Ga Ma Pa L’il Champs 2009″

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rRpquVqu3U

The singers in the competition all sang well known songs from famous Bollywood movies and are judged by professional adult singers and guest adult singers. My correspondent is endeavoring to have Yatharth honored at the 31st Annual Young Artist Awards in 2010.

In an e-mail to theskykid.com, in which he provided the majority of information about Yatharth, he also states that :

“India has, and is, producing some surprisingly great young talent. I think, in part, most of it is due to a very high standard of education, not only in the arts, but in all fields.”

The music performed by Yatharth has an exotic sound to me. Yet, I am impressed by his vocal abilities and the way the music seems to be flowing through him. He sings with his soul and I am not surprised that his fans adore him for that. I would like to quote part of an article about him which I found in ” The Sur Family” blog while researching for more information about Yatharth. In it Abhi writes :

” ….In the 2009 series of “Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Little Champs” – one singer has simply held me spellbound in every performance – Yatharth Ratnum Rastogi !! I cannot watch Yathart perform while sitting still. I am too excited for that. It’s like watching Ronaldo possessing the soccer ball – you know some magic is bound to happen – don’t know what!! Same with Yatharth – I know for sure that I am going to experience the pure magic of music for the next few minutes. He has mesmerized audiences and accomplished judges with his vocal renditions. I am not trained in music to evaluate anyone; however, what has appealed to me is his control over his tonal quality. He knows exactly what to do with his notes – when to “throw” them, when to stretch tahem and how to land them. ..|

…to read the entire article by Abhi follow this link to the Sur Family Blog

For those of you who are hearing about Yatharth for the very first time, I hope that my introduction was interesting to you. If you do a search about him on Google, or any other search engine, you are sure to find a lot more information about him in forums, video sharing sites and the like. Feel free to use the rating system of this blog and share your opinion, about either Yatharth or this introduction, in the comments section below. To complete this article I would like to share with you my favorite performance of Yatharth:

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GA9roK-kVCA

Follow Yatharth Ratnum Rastogi on Facebook

Da obichash na inat / Stubborn Love (Europe: English title)

Although I have seen the movie many times, to write this review I have watched it once again and I must say that again I found it interesting. I generally do not like watching movies a few times, but this is one of the few movies I can watch again and again.

In general, the story of the movie is about 14 year old Plamen (Ivan Velkov) and his father Rado (Velko Kynev). Rado Peshev is 40 years old, and has worked as a truck driver delivering fruits and vegetables. He has a 14 year-old son,Plamen, and a good wife. Plamen accidentally learns that his father is involved in illegal transactions. An incident at school confronts the family with the issues of fairness and compromise and causes Plamen to run away from home. Because of this, Rado decides to withdraw from his illegal operations. But it turns out that it is not so easy to get out of the “game”.

At the beginning of the film, the father gives his son a lesson: “if you are right, keep faith til the end”. This is the main idea of the film. You must, at any cost, defend the truth regardless of consequences. Is it normal to require that you be honest if all others around you are not?

The main conclusion of the film is that the truth is most important and you must have faith in it because, in the end, it is all you have. You may not make compromises with it to serve an individual or authority. Defending the truth is a sign of both civic and personal courage.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6QHKh5tfeCw

The actors in the movie bring their roles to life at an incredibly good level. The same applies to the direction of the film and work with the camera.

The movie has won various awards for cinematography, the Critics Award, an award for best director, and the best actor prize. But maybe the most prestigious of all awards is the Special Jury Prize and the prize “Don Quixote” of the International Film Festival, Karlovy Vary, 1986 .

In the end, this is and will remain one of my favorite movies. It is one of the proofs showing that, although communism inflicted enormous damage to the whole of Bulgaria and Eastern Europe, this region (Eastern Europe and Bulgaria in particular) had, and still has, something to show to the world.

According to the film`s IMDB page Da obichash na Inat was also released in Finland and Sweeden under the titles :

Att älska motvilligt and Rakastaa tahtomattaan

This is a guest review by Spooky. Read his author`s note below :

This is my first movie review. In it I present to you one of my favorite coming of age films — one that perhaps few people know about because it was filmed in 1986, in then communist Bulgaria. I asked SkyKid to publish this review in his blog and he gladly agreed. If you liked this review, I will write others about various unfamiliar but noteworthy Bulgarian and East Europe movies in the future.

Single Santa Seeks Mrs. Claus: Great Film For The Season

Single Santa Seeks Mrs. Claus is a great film for Xmas starring Dominic Scott Kay as Jake. The story is about Santa’s son Nick finding a wife. Well Jake has just the right person for the job — his mom Beth. Beth dosent believe in Santa, but of course Jake does. This makes for a big problem,as she has to believe in order to be Mrs. Claus. Jake and Nick have their hands full making Beth believe in Santa. While Jake doesnt know that Nick is Santa’s son, he soon learns there is something different about him, something magical.

Dominic does a wonderful job in this film (as well as in many others he appears in). He can make you laugh, and then steal your heart . This film, along with Meet The Santas, are great holiday films. Dominic has many films to choose from — 21 so far. He also has starred in six TV shows. That is a big accomplishment for someone who is now only 13 years old. He has done voice overs in Santa Buddies and Air Buddies as the voice of Buddha, as well playing Adam in Snow Buddies.

As amazing as all this is for a young man, Dominic also directed,wrote and starred in Saving Angelo, which is based on a true story about a dog he and his family found on the side of the road. Unfortunately, this film got caught up in a legal battle. Dominic did come out on top, but the release date is unclear. It should be a good film when it is.

Looking for some good films to watch? Check out some of Dominic’s films and you will not be disappointed.

Kirill Ermakov

A young treble from Belarus – Kirill Ermakov

Yesterday I discovered a young singer from Belarus – Kirill Ermakov . I haven’t stopped listening to his songs since. Energy just pops out of Kirill’s songs. I especially like a song of his titled “Я твой герой” (I’m Your Hero). You can also listen to him sing in Italian doing his cover of Adriano Celentano’s classic hit “Italiano”.

Kirill was born in the city of Minsk on 09 July 1996. He goes to the middle school in the same city and to a music school where he studies violin and piano. He’s had performances in a variety of venues in his country and abroad (including New Year theatrical performances in New York). His repertoire includes many songs of his own composition ( “Shall We Dance?”,”Dream”, “In Heaven”,”I’m Your Hero”, “I Sing For You”, “Our Programs W blakitnymi vachami”, etc.). Kirill also enjoys shooting and editing video clips. He assembled the clips in his songs: “Our Programs W blakitnymi vachami” and “Dream.”

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NvY_yNETJqY

Visit the official site of Kirill Ermakov ( most of his songs can be downloaded from there )

La Lengua de las Mariposas

As a fan of the coming of age genre, I knew that La Lengua de las Mariposas wouldn’t disappoint me. The Spanish film was recommended to me by several people and everyone guaranteed that a review of this film has the potential to become one of the most read articles .

I have read many reviews of the film, before and after seeing it, and found that many authors compare it with such classics of the coming of age genre as the Italian Cinema Paradiso (the central youngster/father-figure relationship, as well as some of its bittersweet nostalgia) or the Czech film Kolya. It can also be compared with the Swedish My Life As a Dog or François Truffaut’s The 400 Blows, as the story is told from a child’s point of view and depicts the more contemptible aspects of human nature. I also noted similarities between La Lengua de las Mariposas and another Spanish masterpiece, Secretos de Corazon, considering that most of the film is carried on by a young and quite sympathetic protagonist. In fact, Michael Thomson wrote a very good description of the young actor’s talent in his review for BBC published on 26 July 2000. In it he said: “Manuel Lozano, as the seven-year-old, is particularly powerful when he has to do more than just look anxious and cute (his cuteness loads the dice too much)” _source. The relationship with his older brother is another reference to the scenes of Secretos de Corazon.

The film’s drama is developed from a series of short stories by Manuel Rivas. Its main protagonist is the seven year old Moncho (Manuel Lozano) – a young boy growing up in Spain during the mid-1930s. He has asthma and has to carry with him an odd device which makes his first day at school even harder. He has heard rumors that the teacher may punish the pupils by hitting them, which results in a sleepless night before the first day of school. On the morning of his first school day he is nervous, but soon finds out that there is nothing to worry about. Don Gregorio (Fernando Fernán Gómez), the teacher he is assigned, respects the pupils in his class and is able to gain their attention without corporal or verbal punishment. Moncho’s little world suddenly opens up, and he becomes very close to his new teacher. From that moment on, the movie concentrates on Don Gregorio’s nurturing relationship with Moncho, and on Moncho’s first hints of coming of age.

Soon after his first experiences at school, Moncho gets to learn about life from another source – when he and an older schoolmate spy on a couple while they are making love. Up until this moment, the film projects itself as an account of childhood. As with Secretos de Corazon, the viewer is thinking that there won’t be much more development of the film and one can sit back and enjoy the coming of age experience of Moncho. This might have been it, if the Spanish director did not have an intention to show that one’s childhood is never quite the candy-coated state of bliss one may be familar with from a variety of American Disney-type flicks.

An unexpected, but powerful, shift in the political situation of Spain changes Moncho’s world. In light of the new circumtances, he becomes scared and confused – and his state of mind is reflected in his eyes. The eyes of the boy reflected the spirit of the time and the things he could not yet understand. The eyes of many of the characters, in the Spanish films I have seen, tell as much of the story as the plot itself and La Lengua de las Mariposas is one of them. In order to select Manuel Lozano for the role of Moncho, the director had to audition more than 1500 kids and, once Manuel was discovered , the director called him “a genius of interpretation”. I have absolutely no doubt that you will agree with that, once you see the film and Manuel’s performance.

The film’s targeted audience is young adults and adults , but I also believe that younger children would benefit greatly from seeing the film. Matt Heffernan wrote in his review of La Lengua de las Mariposas that the film is suitable for those who can recognize that childhood represents more than a time of growth. It is the only time in a person’s life in which he can act and think totally without prejudice._source

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JSgUBrnRpAk

I saw this film with my parents and the three of us liked it a lot. Therefore I have no hesitation to recommend La Lengua de las Mariposas as one of the best coming of age flicks I have seen. It is well directed, with beautiful scenery and is well acted all over. La Lengua de las Mariposas is a pleasure for the senses while, at the same time, giving the viewer a glimpse of Spanish history and a lot of ideas to think on. The director’s comentary included in the DVD is quite interesting and I do recommend that you see it as well.

Title: La Lengua de las Mariposas

Director: José Luis Cuerda

Release year: 1999, Canal+ España

Cast : Fernando Fernan Gomez, Manuel Lozano, Uxia Blanco, Gonzalo Uriarte, Alexis de los Santos, Jesus Castejon, Guillermo Toledo, Elena Fernandez, Tamar Novas, Tatan and others

This review is included in the book Coming Of Age Movies: Growing Up On Screen

Nicolai Kielstrup

Since he won the MGP 2005 for Denmark, 18 year old Nicolai Kielstrup’s success has grown enormously. He really is an extremely talented singer/dancer and has already released three albums, one single and performed lots of concerts.

His career in music and dance began when he won MGP 2005. But dance training began much earlier. From the age of 4 he was very much interested in dancing hip hop, street, breakdance and funk. When he became 10, he started at Legoland Show Academy, where he was skilled in dance and drama for two years. It was also here that the young boy, for the first time, began to show his interest for the songs and to develop his voice.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5F60KthtyiU

Educated from Legoland Show Academy, Nicolai had the courage to seize the chance and make a song for MGP. Soon the young boy got selected and became included into the program. He and his three dancing girls won the show with ‘Shake – Shake – Shake’ and so his career started to become what it is nowadays.

At that time, nobody could foresee that the talented performer would have his third album on the streets by 2009. But when Nicolai sets himself a goal, he goes right after it and it is clear that he is very ambitious about his music and dance.

“I am probably the person who has the greatest expectations for myself. I am very much a perfectionist about my music and my performances and I am always working to make them as good as possible. If I am not completely satisfied, then I will discard everything and start all over until I am completely satisfied”, says the purposeful singing and dancing talent.

Music and dance are a big part of Nicolai’s life. And because he was so young when he started to sing and dance, he develops himself with music like the music evolves with him.

“I can clearly feel that I have developed myself from album to album. For example, I discovered that my messages have become more serious on my latest CD. One of the tracks is death – the losing of one you love- and I was certainly too young to sing about that three years ago. But it is obviously not serious messages all the time”, says the young Jutlander with a twinkle in his eye and continues…

“I also find that music is a good tool to find myself and get really mature. The music evolves with me and I develop myself with music – it is mutual.”

With his weekly dance hours in Copenhagen, regular singing hours, work in the studio and appearances on weekends, the 18-year-old heart throb also finds the time to attend Business College in Vejle.

Nicolai now has his own dog. It is a golden retriever who has been named Bonzo. The singer has always enjoyed the company of these kinds of dogs. Already since he was a child. There were two families who both had golden retrievers and Nicolai spent lots of hours playing with the dogs. One of them was also called Bonzo. When the family visited the kennel Nicolai had two favourite puppies and one of them was the 10 weeks old Bonzo. It is a very independent, clever, curious, forward-rushing and loving dog. But most important is that when Nicolai comes home he gets a super-welcome.

Albums

Nicolai, 2006 – sold 30.000 copies and resulted in platinum
Stage 2, 2007 – sold 25.000 copies and resulted in gold
Dejavu – Tilbage til mig, 2009 (+ Diva Baby in English)

Single

Det for sent nu, November 2008

New demo songs in English

Still care, December 2009
Figure it out, December 2009

Websites

http://www.myspace.com/nicolaikielstrup
http://www.youtube.com/user/NicolaiKielstrup
http://www.arto.com/section/user/profile/?id=4911774
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Nicolai-Kielstrup/20740836784?ref=ts

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The article above is guest contribution of :

Jonas – http://twitter.com/electrrricity

Cross My Heart and Hope to Die

Ti kniver i hjertet ( Cross My Heart and Hope to Die) is one of the coming of age films I have always wanted to see. For no particular reason – other than its title, which grabbed my attention. After I have seen it, I am quite confused by it , which does not come as a surprise keeping in mind that Ti kniver i hjertet is a Norwegian movie and these sometimes tend to be abstract or hard to interpret. As seen on the cover, the movie is being marketed as being filmed “in the tradition of My Life As A Dog”. As I have seen that one too – I could only agree with that, especially when it comes to the director’s choice of letting the viewer wonder what was the main idea he intended to project in his work.

To me the idea behind the film is trying to answer the question :

Is there a decision which, once taken, can shape your whole life?

The movie seeks to answer that question while telling Otto’s coming of age tale (Martin Dahl Garfalk) – a young boy who lives in a quiet, small town in Norway. It’s an ordinary town, inhabited with…an ordinary people (or are they?). Otto is a quiet boy and his shyness makes him an outsider amongst his teammates on the local football team. While observing the other boys playing, a strange teenager appears on the benches one day. He gets Otto’s attention and then makes an odd request …

Later on, Otto and that ” stranger ” become friends and this friendship changes how Otto sees the world around him. Yet when they discover a dead body – things change – there is some mystery surrounding Franc (the new friend of Otto). That discovery, and later ones formed by his observation of the adults’ behavior around him, shape Otto’s coming of age experience.

Admittedly, Cross My Heart and Hope to Die is not my kind of film. That’s why I would hesitate to recommend it. Yet, from other reviews I have read, I know that some people are rather fond of it. In his Variety review, Leonard Clady calls Ti kniver i hjertet ” an arresting and novel coming-of-age tale, “Cross My Heart and Hope to Die” is yet another intelligent, entertaining youth drama from Norway.” I found the film too grim and moody for my taste.

In the end, I will leave it up to you to decide if the film is worth watching – and when you do see it, come back to this review and let me know your opinion of it…

TheSkyKid.com

TheSKyKid.com