Dale’s Triple-Feature — Scandinavian Folklore Creatures
Something’s creeping through those expansive North European conifer forests
This is part of a series in which I suggest three related movies to watch. You can find more information and the list of recommendations here.
Here are three Scandinavian movies exploring the humanity of folklore creatures. They all have a quite dark, serious tone, and are quite critical of humanity.
Thale (2012)
A Norwegian movie about two men who discover a captive mute woman with a cow’s tail in a creepy cabin in the woods.
When Animals Dream (2014)
Set in a remote fishing village in Denmark, a shy teenage girl suspects her family is hiding a dark secret as her body begins to change.
Border (2018)
A Swedish movie about a Neanderthalic-looking woman on the outskirts of society who meets someone that feels strangely familiar.
This is a great Scandinavian spread of movies. All three movies are slow-paced and small-scale, and make the creatures very sympathetic. They all tap into the idea that nature cannot and should not be controlled, that wild animals cannot be tamed.
Questions:
If you met a mythological creature like a goblin or centaur or siren, what questions would you ask it?
How would a creature from your own country’s folklore struggle to fit into contemporary society?
If you could become any mythological creature, what would it be and why?
