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Pop-country phenoms, Harmonica ruled the circuit, boasting sold-out arena tours and lavish lifestyles. When they find themselves on the other side of that fame decades later, Monica (Josephine Bornebusch) and Harry (Jonas Karlsson) have to decide whether to embark on a reunion tour or stay firmly planted in their present-day, lives racked with grief and angst. Their marriage on the brink of collapse, the two agree to take one last shot at living their passions outright, the traumas they’ve accumulated in tow.

Vivid flashbacks establish a profound dichotomy in this Swedish-language, Viaplay Original drama series. The cast, rounded out by Eric Ericson (“Department Q”), Nina Zanjani (“Hedda Gabler”), Jorgen Thorrson (“Border”), and Dag Malmberg (“Gåsmamman”), offers sporadic comedic relief while serving to superbly flesh-out the scenes of excess and tension.

At its core “Harmonica,” is a story of true love grown apathetic, ravaged, holding on by a thread. Produced...

The program announcements continue for the 72nd Berlin International Film Festival this week, with the full Panorama line-up now confirmed.

Adding to the initial titles unveiled back in April are films including Alain Guiraudie’s Nobody’s Hero, which opens the strand this year.

Also confirmed today were the titles that will participate in the Berlinale Series Market and Co-Pro Series event this year.

Taking part in Berlinale Series Market Selects will be The Fear Index, the upcoming show from Left Bank Pictures that is set to star Josh Hartnett, as well as projects from Keshet, Viaplay and Globo. See the full lists below.

Tomorrow, Berlin chiefs Carlo Chatrian and Mariette Rissenbeek will unveil the 2022 Competition line-up at an event that kicks off at 11Am Cet.

Panorama Additions:

Aşk, Mark ve Ölüm

Germany

by Cem Kaya

World premiere / Panorama Dokumente

Baqyt (Happiness)

Kazakhstan

by Askar Uzabayev

with Laura Myrzakhmetova,...

Working on yesterday's article about recent classical Christmas albums and looking back at my original Christmas album article got me thinking about old favorites I hadn't included in my 2005 article. Here they are. It says something about their popularity that they have all stayed available, in some cases for decades.

Anonymous 4 On Yoolis Night (Harmonia Mundi) This gorgeous collection contains Advent and Christmas music from 13th through 15th century English sources -- with one piece traceable all the way back to the 5th century. The ethereal beauty of these devotional antiphons, motets, carols, etc. is about as far from the usual hackneyed Christmas carols as one could get. Some of the Latin texts are familiar (Hodie Christus natus est, Ave maria, Videntes stellam), but this is largely fresh, relatively unexplored repertoire.   Russian Patriarchate Choir/Anatoly Grindenko Russian Christmas (Opus 111) This is no cheesy Red Army Chorus holiday collection, but insteada...

Working on yesterday's article about recent classical Christmas albums and looking back at my original Christmas album article got me thinking about old favorites I hadn't included in my 2005 article. Here they are. It says something about their popularity that they have all stayed available, in some cases for decades.

Anonymous 4 On Yoolis Night (Harmonia Mundi) This gorgeous collection contains Advent and Christmas music from 13th through 15th century English sources -- with one piece traceable all the way back to the 5th century. The ethereal beauty of these devotional antiphons, motets, carols, etc. is about as far from the usual hackneyed Christmas carols as one could get. Some of the Latin texts are familiar (Hodie Christus natus est, Ave maria, Videntes stellam), but this is largely fresh, relatively unexplored repertoire.   Russian Patriarchate Choir/Anatoly Grindenko Russian Christmas (Opus 111) This is no cheesy Red Army Chorus holiday collection, but insteada...

Four More Years

Directed by Tova Magnusson-Norling

Written by Wilhelm Behrman

Four More Years, directed by Tova Magnusson-Norling, uses the tried and true romantic comedy formula to its complete advantage. Unlikely love interests, check. Falling-in-love montage, check. Inevitable misunderstanding leading to separation, check. Happy ending, well, you’ll have to see. All the romantic comedy staples are there. The result is genuinely romantic, touching and consistently hilarious.

Four More Years tells the story of David Holst, leader of the Swedish center-right Liberal Party. Though he is predicted by everyone to become Sweden’s new Prime Minister, he is defeated at the last second by the Social Democrats. While trying to salvage his own reputation and that of his party, David strikes up a friendship with the charming and openly gay Martin Kovac. Quickly moving from friendship to much more, the problems start to amass. The fact that David is already...