As young children, the half-siblings Axel and Yanne are adopted to Norway, he to material wealth on Oslo's west side, she to an average family on the east side of town. With his well-meaning, but indulgent adoptive parents, Axel grows up to become a spoiled brat who hides the insecurity of his troubled past behind an indifferent facade. In contrast to her younger brother, Yanne remembers their journey to Norway, but because they were separated upon arrival, she has no idea where or who he might be now. All this is about to change as Yanne's Polish friend Maria starts working as a maid for Axel's parents, and discovers a photograph of him as a young boy. Maria has seen the same picture on the wall of Yanne's flat, and with an outsider's enthusiastic lack of restraint, she takes on the task of reuniting them.
Upperdog is a vibrant relational dramacomedy with a wide thematic palette, where young people's longing and search for themselves and for love, their vulnerability and conceit, is addressed with both liberating buoyancy and thoughtful gravity. With elegant narrative flair and direction, the team behind Upperdog has created a truly heartfelt film in this entertaining and moving story from contemporary Norway.
NFI utenlandsavdelingen/red.
