Plot introduction
Set in Ålesund, A Human Position is a slow-paced film that unfolds in successive tableaux, to form a complete picture of the subtle changes and events that make up one's life. It explores the persistence of memory and trauma, the definition of one's moral values, and the possibility of joy. Asta is a journalist in Ålesund who seems plunged in a melancholic state, for a reason we discover bit by bit. Her supportive girlfriend refurbishes design chairs and plays the keyboard, while their kitten wanders around the house. One day, Asta reads a story in a newspaper about an asylum-seeker who is being forcefully evicted from Norway after having lived and worked a decade in the country. Gradually, Asta becomes more involved in learning about the case, and she has to find her position - both in her work and in her personal life. This beautifully-crafted film, bathed in soft colours, is a meticulous observation of Asta's life after an unnamed trauma, and as external events invite her to reconsider her own relationship to reality. One newspaper article she reads is entitled, "Confronting our social conscience", which is one of the topics of A Human Position. It's also a low-key love story, with its routines and ups-and-downs, which feels very real.
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