Levan Akin's film "Passage" is nominated for the Nordic Council Film Prize this year. The film is about trans people in Istanbul and is based on the retired teacher Lia who travels to Turkey to search for her missing niece Tekla.
"Despite the heated debate climate surrounding trans issues, Akin (director and screenwriter) manages to tell a story about the need for us all to dream and belong to a community, and he does it with humor, empathy, and great warmth" write the Swedish jury members in their motivation.
The other nominees are:
"Autumn Leaf Falls" by Aki Kaurismäki (Finland),
"Twice Colonized" by Lin Alluna (Greenland),
"Touch" ("touch" in Swedish) by Baltasar Kormákur (Iceland),
"My Heritage Lives in You" ("my heritage lives in you" in Swedish) by Roja Pakari and Emilie Adelina Monies (Denmark)
"Sex" by director and screenwriter Dag Johan Haugerud (Norway).
The winner will be announced on October 22.
