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This year's SEA-Nordic Film Festival shines a spotlight on Denmark’s rich cinematic landscape. From iconic directors and actors to distinctive styles, the lineup celebrates the evolution and diversity of Danish film. Expect a mix of familiar favorites and hidden gems as we showcase the intimate storytelling and global resonance that define Danish cinema.
6:00 - 8:00pm
Kick off the 2025 SEA-Nordic Film Festival at the Museum! This free event will feature a screening of trailers from the films shown at the Festival and a conversation between Thomas Christensen, Guest Curator from the Danish Film Institute, and Amanda Doxtater, a film historian and UW Associate Professor and Barbro Osher Endowed Chair of Swedish Studies.
7:00 - 9:00pm
Four friends, all high school teachers, embark on an experiment – will maintaining a constant level of alcohol in their bloodstream markedly improve their lives?
10:30am - 12:00pm
Navarana, a young Inuit woman, is the best in her settlement at skinning seals and dressing skins. And now she’s ready to choose a partner. Will Paolo or Samo win her heart (and her hand)?
1:00 - 2:00pm
Life In Denmark (1972) - Director Jørgen Leth talks to nearly 100 Danes – including a cyclist, a minister of finance, and 13 single women — to convey a realistic impression of Denmark.
Max By Chance (2004) - What can you learn about yourself by examining where you came from? Director Max Kestner tells his own story through generations of ancestors, including sailors, industrialists, and hippies.
2:30 - 4:00pm
Amin Nawabi shares his story of fleeing his home country of Afghanistan for Denmark in this independent adult animated documentary film.
5:00 - 6:45pm
When French refugee and chef Babette arrives at the door of a pair of pious sisters, it’s all oatmeals and austere dishes. But when Babette comes into money, she prepares a sumptuous feast for her neighbors that brings a quiet revolution.
7:00 - 9:20pm
In 18th century Denmark, a young queen married to a mad king falls in love with the royal physician. Their love starts a revolution that changes a country forever.
11:30am - 1:30pm
Film will be announced soon.
2:00 - 4:10pm
A farmer’s family is torn apart by faith, sanctity, and love. Will a sudden tragedy further destroy them — or bring them together?
5:00 - 6:30pm
The mysterious Mr. Steinmetz has the ability to create things and beings by will alone. What happens when someone crosses him?
7:00 - 9:15pm
Some disasters can be expected on your wedding day, but a mysterious planet hurtling toward Earth? Two sisters find their already strained relationship challenged as the end of the world nears.
Passholders enjoy exclusive access to all festival screenings at Majestic Bay Theatres, ensuring you've got a seat for every moment of movie magic. It's more than just a ticket—it's your passport to the best of Nordic cinema!
"When asked to curate this year’s film festival, I used the keyword 'location' as a guiding principle for my selection. As a film historian and steward of film heritage, I wanted to include not only recent films but also to reflect on the richness of Danish film history."
"Many of the selected films are set in a specific geographical location—most often Denmark—and use physical landscapes to reflect mental or emotional states.
In Palo’s Wedding (1934), for example, the Arctic landscape serves as one of the film’s central attractions. The film, written by explorer and ethnographer Knud Rasmussen, offers a compelling portrayal of the customs and lifeways of Greenlandic communities. Though shaped by its time, Rasmussen’s approach conveys deep respect for the people he sought to represent, giving the film universal and enduring resonance.
In The Man Who Thought Life (1969), the concept of location shifts inward to a more psychological space. Its sleek, modernist aesthetic and Scandinavian design sensibility root the film in the 1960s, yet its surreal tone continues to captivate.
Some of the films, such as Ordet, Babette’s Feast, and A Royal Affair, use West Jutland or historical settings to explore enduring tensions between tradition and progress. Others, like Another Round, offer entertaining and charming insights into life in contemporary Denmark.
In curating this program, I have selected personal favorites—balancing celebrated masterpieces with overlooked cinematic gems from the archive. No matter which films you choose to see, I hope that you will be entertained, filled with unexpected experiences, and re-affirmed that life is worth living."
—Thomas Christensen, Guest Curator, 2025 SEA-Nordic Film Festival
This year the SEA-Nordic Film Festival line-up is hand-picked by Thomas Christensen, the Lead Curator at the Danish Film Institute.
Amanda Doxtater is Associate Professor and Barbro Osher Endowed Chair of Swedish Studies in the Department of Scandinavian Studies at the University of Washington.
In-person
In-person
In-person
