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World Fantastic Cinema

Just Bea

Petter NAESS

Norway2003 90min 35mm Color

Synopsis

What’s the one thing that fills the head of a 16-year-old? The future? No. It’s sex. When, where, how, and with who? Bea is denied a piece of cake because she’s still a virgin. One day, something incredible happens to her. The most popular boy in school, Daniel, remembers her name and compliments her writing. After Daniel invites her to his party, her friends decide to get prepare her for sex with Daniel. They find a sex practice partner for her and get her to study the Karma Sutra. After sleeping with her practice sex partner, Anders, Bea successfully sleeps with Daniel and they become a couple. With his handsome looks, sports car, a yacht, Bea’s relationship with Daniel makes her friends jealous. However despite her increase in status, Bea realises that her true love is Anders, who merely wants to be a farmer. Although late, she confesses her love to Anders and receives an acceptance letter from the writing school in Canada. With upbeat music, colorful scenes, fast MTV cutting, and flashy camera movements, the film is shrewdly targeted at teens. The film infuses humor, sex starved teens, love, friendship, and adolescent dreams to create a Norwegian version of American Pie. (LEE Byung-hee)

Diretor

Petter NAESS

Born in Oslo, Norway in 1960. He primarily worked in the world of theatre and revues, both as scriptwriter, director and actor, and rose to prominence with the hit play Elling that he directed and adapted into a film in 2001. Elling was nominated for Best Foreign Film at the Academy Awards. Debuting with Absolute Hangover in 1999 followed by Elling, Just Bea is his third feature. He is currently in postproduction on a Hollywood film, Mozart and the Whales.