History Written After 69 Years of Waiting

Joachim Trier's 'Sentimental Value' has set a new milestone in Norwegian film history by winning the International Feature Film award at the 98th Academy Awards. This marks Norway's first Oscar victory, achieved 69 years after their first nomination in 1957 and following six attempts.

The film was nominated for a total of nine categories, including Best Picture and Best Director, in addition to International Feature Film. This is only the fourth time in history that a non-English language film has received nine or more nominations.

A Drama Examining Family Wounds

'Sentimental Value' tells the story of a film director father who has prioritized his career over family, attempting to reconcile with his estranged daughters. He chooses to produce a new film as a means of reconciliation, but his daughter refuses to participate without even reading the script. The story unfolds as an American star actress takes on the role instead.

Director Trier masterfully weaves complex emotions of grief and distance while minimizing dialogue and shared spaces. The film delivers a powerful emotional catharsis at its conclusion that moved audiences to tears.

Acceptance Speech Quoting James Baldwin

In his acceptance speech, Director Trier stated, "This film is about a very dysfunctional family," adding, "but the experience with these beautiful colleagues behind me was the opposite."

He quoted American writer and civil rights activist James Baldwin, emphasizing that "every adult is responsible for every child." His statement, "Let's not vote for politicians who don't take this seriously," was aimed at addressing the suffering of children in ongoing conflicts in Palestine, Ukraine, Sudan, and elsewhere.

Norway's Oscar Challenge History

Norway first received an Oscar nomination for International Feature Film (then known as Foreign Language Film) in 1957, but had not tasted the glory of winning for decades. Despite six nominations over the years, they had to swallow disappointment each time.

The win for 'Sentimental Value' transcends the achievement of a single work—it represents a moment when the artistry and narrative power that Norway's film industry has steadily built was recognized globally. Particularly noteworthy is that receiving nine nominations as a non-English language film demonstrates the work's universal appeal and level of completion.