I Am Dina (2002)

In Northern Norway during the 1860s, a little girl named Dina accidentally causes her mother's death. Overcome with grief, her father refuses to raise her, leaving her in the care of the ... See full summary »

Director:

Ole Bornedal

Writers:

Ole Bornedal, Jonas Cornell

Stars:

Maria Bonnevie, Gérard Depardieu, Christopher Eccleston

9 wins & 8 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Maria Bonnevie	...	Dina
Gérard Depardieu	...	Jacob
Christopher Eccleston	...	Leo Zhukovsky
Bjørn Floberg	...	Edvard, Dina's Father
Pernilla August	...	Hjertrud, Dina's Mother
Amanda Jean Kvakland	...	Little Dina
Hans Matheson	...	Tomas
Jørgen Langhelle	...	Anders
Mads Mikkelsen	...	Niels
Wenche Foss	...	Mistress Karen
Søren Sætter-Lassen	...	Lorch
Kate Hardie	...	Stine
Bodil Udsen	...	Olivia
Mateen Sandvik Ram	...	Little Thomas
Eli Anne Linnestad	...	Housekeeper

Storyline

In Northern Norway during the 1860s, a little girl named Dina accidentally causes her mother's death. Overcome with grief, her father refuses to raise her, leaving her in the care of the household servants. Dina grows up wild and unmanageable, with her only friend being the stable boy, Tomas. She summons her mother's ghost and develops a strange fascination with death as well as a passion for living. Family friend Jacob encourages Dina's father to hire Lorch, a tutor who introduces her to the cello. When Dina is old enough, she marries Jacob and moves to Reinsnes, a port he runs with his mother, Karen, and his stepsons Niels and Anders . Niels doesn't like Dina's wild ways, or the fact that she has taken over accounting duties at Reinsnes. Dina's eccentric tendencies become even stronger, eventually leading Jacob into an accident of his own and bringing Tomas back into her life.

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Plot Keywords:

19th century | accounting | norway | 1860s | first time sex | 

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Taglines:

This is my story

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Official Sites:

Bluecom AS (norwegian, english) [Norway]

Country:

Norway Sweden France Germany Denmark

Language:

English Norwegian French

Release Date:

8 March 2002 (Norway)

Also Known As:

Dina

Filming Locations:

Kjerringøy, Bodø, Nordland, Norway

Box Office

Budget:

NOK 141,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

ApolloMedia Distribution, Felicia Film, Gemini Film

Technical Specs

Runtime:

125 min 122 min (DVD)

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

With a budget totaling 144 million Norwegian kroner (about US$21 million) this was the most expensive movie to date in Norway.

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Quotes

Dina's Father: He's to be called Jacob of course?
Dina: No, he's not. He's to be called Benjamin.
Dina's Father: Benjamin? Nobody in our family has ever been called "Benjamin".
Dina: You can brawl all you like, it will be as I say.

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Alternate Versions

The "International version" contains a different ending than the original version.

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Soundtracks

Dina
Written and Performed by Jorane

User Reviews

Compelling

I was a little distracted by the fact that non-native English speaking actors of various European persuasions were acting in a clearly non-English setting and cultural context. I was not sure if this had some artistic or symbolic intent or not. Once I set this discomfort aside, I found myself completely compelled by the movie. Dark themes are enveloped by a bubble of hope. The plot twists and turns keep you wondering constantly if that bubble is going to burst.

For women this is a delightful (though macabre) portrait of a woman who not only is very strong emotionally, but is also strong physically and is not afraid to use these strengths. On the more serious side of this portrait, it is also an interesting study of what motivates and empowers someone who has nothing to loose and nothing left to fear.