Reprise

Erik and Phillip are trying to make it as writers. Erik is rejected by publishers as lacking in talent, while Phillip’s manuscript is accepted and the young man becomes a major name on the Norwegian cultural scene practically overnight. Six months later, Erik and his friends come to visit Phillip at a psychiatric hospital to bring him home after long-term treatment. Writing is the last thing on Phillip’s mind, but Erik is continuing his literary attempts and tries to convince his friend to go back to writing. This film could be seen as a subtle reflection on youth as a time of promise, plans and hopes which gradually dissolve under the impact of life experiences. If the style of the narration is reminiscent of the poetic works of the French New Wave, it’s no coincidence: the director admits to the influence of François Truffaut, in particular, the latter’s Jules and Jim, in which fundamental themes are treated with an enchantingly light touch.