The House of Angels

‘I’m all alone and poor too, so I’d rather die‘, says one of the seniors in the Norwegian old people’s home that is portrayed in Dei mjuke hendene. They are well taken care of, but still they are often staring aimlessly and despondently. Watching television now and then and celebrating the odd birthday party, those are the only things that brighten up their secluded lives a little. The young documentary filmmaker Margreth Olin shows the life in this home with a mixture of detachment and commitment. In beautiful, serene images, she captures the drag of daily life. In the short conversations, a lot of personal grief surfaces, like that of the man who had been married for sixty years, but was no longer allowed to sleep in one bed with his wife. The institutionalised care has its advantages, but it is obvious that the people concerned are not so happy with it. (International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam)