Actor/Director Nicolaj Kopernikus shares to the big screen STENOFONEN, a story inspired by true events, the story of his own father.

Jørn is playing the violin but gets interrupted by his son, who asks him about his past. Jørn’s detachment is powerfully portrayed by Jesper Christensen.  A true sublime and humble performance of someone who is lost and dismisses himself. 

In STENOFONEN, the core of the story focuses on the father-son relationship. A strict father who demands too much of his son; and a boy who gets his dreams crushed by his father. In just over 20 minutes, the childhood trauma of this relationship is wonderfully explored without over explaining, or overwriting. The clues are there, and the son never really overcame his childhood.

In just over 20 minutes, the childhood trauma of this relationship is wonderfully explored without over explaining, or overwriting. The clues are there, and the son never really overcame his childhood.

The short-film tackles how important a father’s approval is to a young child, and how little it demands from the father. In this case, simple permission to play the violin would be enough.

If the flashback scenes are not powerful and emotional enough, it is in the film’s opening and ending scene that the bigger puzzle gets together, showing the consequences of repressed trauma, and how many years of your life it can consume.

A simple but complicated relationship is explored in this distinguished film, and Nicolaj Kopernikus proves that he can handle the chair of director with excellence. Jørn is not young, but is finally free and enjoying music for the first time in a long time. People love what he liked to play, he can hear, sense and feel the music in a powerful ending sequence that resembles

Paolo Sorrentino’s “Youth”. He finally gives himself to music and to what he wants. Maybe it’s never too late. This beautiful period drama certainly deserves a place on the Oscar Shortlist!

J. Ibel