Alt du elsker

This was a short...and I want to emphasize maybe too short, series built around two Norwegian youths, who meet one another after a long period apart. The two first met at a summer camp in their youth and reconnect randomly on the train. Sara has lost her college living situation and Jonas helps her move her stuff back to her uncle's. After they reconnect, the two start dating. Unbeknownst to Sara, Jonas has some pretty radical ideas about Norwegian nationalism...even going so far as to believe that immigrants are taking away jobs and eroding their local culture. Sara eventually finds a new living situation with a college student of color named Hina. Snooping on Jonas' phone, Sara discovers his radical conversations with others, leading to her breaking it off with him. Jonas, who initially seems very solid in his convictions, has a series of interactions that isolate him and leave him alone with his thoughts. One is meeting a long time internet friend and fellow radical from Germany, who ends up not living up to his expectations and eventually returns to Germany only to perform a horrible act of violence that leads not only to his death but to the identification of Jonas in his home country.

Hina ends up being my favorite character in this short series. She has some great writing for her character, but what I really appreciated was the incredibly thoughtful consideration she gives others. She wisely welcomes and builds up her new roommate, and sensing Sara and Jonas' relationship was on the rocks she becomes the peacemaker between the two, ultimately when she could have turned on Sara she doesn't...she forgives and goes beyond to encourage Sara to reach out to Jonas who may be struggling.

The end of this short series seems very unfinished to me. I don't know if that was the intent...if it was meant to provoke conversation? The reality is I imagine this lead to a suicide of someone who I think could have been saved with the care and kindness of characters like Hina.

There were beautiful bits to this series, but I am not sure that there is enough to redeem it as a whole and make it onto my recommendation list. So there it sits.

This review is based on watching the series in it's original Norwegian language with English subtitles.

I've always though that to be a nazi, one had to be nasty. Jonas, played by Jakob Fort, was certainly that, making barbed and hurtful comments to his nearest and dearest friends. His polar opposite was his love interest Sara, played by Mona Dale, whose acting ability in the form of facial expression extended to two forms - one a smacked-bum face and the other a wide-smile face. She was monotone and annoying but the part written for her was barely stellar.

Jonas was unsalvageable. He had a clear mind and vision although he probably didn't envisage Dennis's later actions after his stinging criticism of the latter.

The series took a commendably liberal view and was clear in its rejection of right-wing radicalism. What else could it have done though?

What we ended up with was a propaganda piece aimed at the youth that could only deal with these issues superficially in the time frame of seven episodes of twenty five minutes each.

There's no real cliffhanger, although the series ends on an equivocal note. Easy watching for a dull afternoon.

This series is a rare opportunity for an insight into Norwegian television and culture. It was made available in Britain through Channel 4 and its "Walter Presents" feature of foreign - language series. The presentation may be strangely low-key but there is much to be fascinated by:-

The multilingualism of daily life in Norway.

Unlike us Britons they don't always need subtitles. There is a lot of dialogue in English , especially in last two episodes (and German, for that matter). There are English - language pop tunes, including the series signature tune.

The famed Nordic scenery and healthy lifestyle, including an uncomplicated attitude to sexual relationships.

The Scandinavians' ambivalent relationship with their Viking heritage.

The plot may be didactic but that's justifiable in view of the 2011 terrorist attack by Anders Brevik.

In short, this series is undoubtedly worthy and worth watching.