LOGLINE
Yaimita begins an online romance with an older man, hoping for a better life, but everything changes when she discovers he isn't as perfect as he seemed.
SYNOPSIS
At 18, Yaimita fulfills her mother’s long-held dream by starting an online romance with Sven, a man twice her age, in hopes of a better life. But her dreams crumble when she discovers that her mother has always known Sven isn’t as idyllic as he seems.
ARTISTIC STATEMENT
My childhood was filled with stories of sixty-year-old men who, with the promise of a better life, essentially bought themselves beautiful girlfriends. These narratives have profoundly shaped who I am today, particularly the kinds of stories I want to tell. They opened the door to a world where no one is fully guilty or entirely innocent, where the harshness of circumstance can redeem the irredeemable. In every project, I strive to capture that bittersweet tone that defines so much of me—the kind of story that makes us laugh and dream, yet lingers with an unsettling aftertaste.
I also grew up in a world shaped by neighborhoods, where gossip reigned supreme. Unconsciously, this culture of whispered truths and half-secrets has influenced the narratives I’m drawn to. Who tells what to whom? How do you punish silence? And why do we stay quiet about what everyone knows?
It’s a world where the boundary between the inside and the outside is both our greatest intellectual barrier and our deepest illusion. Beyond our reality, the grass always seems greener, and that dream is what helps us persevere despite all we lack.
"Norheimsund" was born from the urgency to tell an intimate, layered story about a mother and daughter trapped in a cycle of mutual sacrifice. Each carries the weight of the other’s expectations and broken dreams, creating a complicated dynamic where personal sacrifice becomes a currency in their relationship.
At its core, Norheimsund is a story about the kind of hope that keeps us moving forward, even when it demands the greatest compromises.
KEY CREW
Ana A. Alpizar - writer/ director
Ana A. Alpizar is a director, screenwriter, producer, and editor based in New York, currently pursuing an MFA at NYU Tisch. As a director, Ana's short film The Fisherman screened at Sundance, Miami, NALIP, Rooftop Films, and received awards at numerous festivals worldwide. Her film The Premiere won the top prize at the China Women's Film Festival, among other accolades. Her latest short, Hapi Berdey Yusimi in Yur Dey, was an official selection at the New Orleans Film Festival, Brooklyn Film Festival, and more. Since 2019, Ana has worked as an editor across film, TV, and advertising. She has edited two feature films—Domestic Animals (dir. Juan Pablo Daranas Molina) and Ciao Babes & Baddies (dir. Bianca di Marco)—as well as several short films. Her work includes Out the Window Through The Wall, which was an Official Selection at Cannes 2024.
Madeline Finkel - Producer
Madeline Rose Finkel is a director and producer currently attending NYU Tisch’s Graduate Film Program. Raised between the US and the UK, she has spent the last several years working as a producer and artist in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Her international upbringing fostered a deep curiosity about the diversities and singularities of the human experience. A lifelong dancer, Madeline has fused her creative passion with her observational instincts through film. In 2019, Madeline was named a Fulbright Scholar to Argentina for her first documentary production. The British Council for the Arts and One World Media also recognized her as one of "14 filmmakers to watch." Though early in her career, she has already worked with prestigious organizations such as ARTEtv, NOWNESS, and the Barbican Centre London.
ACCOLADES
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