I Am Dina (2002)

Dina grows up in a village at a fjord in 1860s north Norway. As child, she accidentally kills her mom and loses her rich dad's love. She grows up to be a clever, pretty, wild and strange woman. She marries a rich Frenchman.

Directors:

Ole Bornedal, Tony Spataro

Writers:

Ole Bornedal, Jonas Cornell

Stars:

Maria Bonnevie, Gérard Depardieu, Christopher Eccleston

10 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 | reference to alexander pushkin | pierre joseph proudhon | accounting | norway | 

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Taglines:

This is my story

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Did You Know?

Trivia

Co-star Gérard Depardieu brought 500 bottles of wine from his own farm and winery to the location in Kjerringøy (northern Norway) "to keep the spirits up", as he himself put it.

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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

Beautiful setting, intense acting

"I am Dina" has a lot of good actors. Many of them are not as familiar with the English language. That makes the acting a bit stiff. The main characters, however are doing fine. Dina is played with a lot of heart and passion. The story is true to the book, but tries to say too much in too little time. The depth is created by the actors, in each scene, not by the writers. The setting and the costumes are wonderfully balanced. There are not too many panoramic views and colorful costumes. Everything is carefully balanced, as to not steal focus from the intense acting. I´m especially impressed with Hans Matheson, who plays Tomas, the stableboy. The scenes with Tomas and Dina are very intense and powerful. There is an energy between them, that reaches all the way to the back rows of the theater

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:

NOK141,000,000 (estimated)

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$2,691,510

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