Norwegian drama “Sentimental Value” premiered at Cannes in May 2025, won the festival’s Grand Prix, later opened the Jerusalem Film Festival in July, and then sat unreleased in Israel for months. After delays, including what the article says were hopes to capitalize on its Oscar win for Best International Feature in the spring, it is now opening in wide commercial release in Israel this coming weekend.
The film is written and directed by Joachim Trier, whose previous works include “Oslo, August 31st” and “The Worst Person in the World.” It reunites him with Renate Reinsve, who became a breakout star through that earlier film. Here, Stellan Skarsgard plays a once-famous filmmaker who abandoned his family years ago and now wants to make his life project, a film about his mother, a WWII resistance fighter who later took her own life.
When his estranged daughter, played by Reinsve, refuses to star in the project, he turns to an American celebrity, Rachel Kemp, played by Elle Fanning. He also changes the dialogue to English, though the film itself moves between English and Norwegian. The story follows the shifting relationships between the director, his two daughters, and the actress who enters the family orbit. One daughter is an academic who keeps away from the spotlight, while the younger sister, Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas, emerges as a key figure and, according to the review, steals the film.
The review says Trier uses the family setup to explore how value is assigned, to people, objects, places, art, and language. It praises the script, performances, music choices by Terry Callier and Roxy Music, and the camera work. It also says the film asks Bergman-like questions about God and meaning, and argues that cinema becomes the answer when faith fails. The article’s verdict is that “Sentimental Value” is a rare masterpiece.
