In this real-life Cool Runnings the predominantly white community of the rural Swedish town of Borlänge (whose town slogan is “Nice People”) is confronted by the influx of Somalis who have fled war and come to live in Sweden. Integrating has proven difficult, so entrepreneur Patrik Andersson decides that all the Swedes and Somalis need is something in common to bring them together, and so he encourages them to learn bandy (a cross between ice hockey and soccer) with the goal of becoming the first ever bandy team to represent Somalia at the Bandy World Championships in Irkutsk, Russia, even though they have never skated in their lives!
In Swedish, English, and Somali with subtitles. 90 minutes.
Saturday, March 25th | 1pm| admission $8; FREE for SCC Members
Based on Fredik Backman’s international best-selling novel, Ove is the quintessential angry old man next door. An isolated retiree with strict principles and a short fuse, Ove spends his days enforcing block association rules that only he cares about and visiting his wife’s grave. Enter a boisterous young family next door who accidentally flatten Ove’s mailbox while moving in and Ove has a new source of ire. Yet over time an unlikely friendship forms and we learn of Ove’s past happiness and heartbreaks. What emerges is a heartwarming tale of unreliable first impressions and the gentle reminder that life is sweeter when it’s shared.
116 minutes. In Swedish with English subtitles.
Free; donations accepted.
Films start at 1:30pm. Refreshments for attendees are served at 1pm. Lunch (not included) is available in the Kaffestugan, which is open until 3pm every Saturday.
After their public showing movies in our film series become part of the Scandinavian Library’s collection of DVDs available for borrowing by Library members.
During our weekly Kaffestugan we will be celebrating the Swedish tradition of Våffeldagen. Swedes have enjoyed waffles in some form since the 1600’s and they remain popular today. So much so they celebrate them every March 25th! Often covered with cream and jam instead of syrup, these are sure to delight. Come on out for lunch and a waffle or just a waffle on it’s own! We won’t judge. The standard Kaffestugan menu will still be available.
Come join the Scandinavian Cultural Center as we watch the Grand Final of Sweden’s Melodifestivalen, the competition to choose the country’s entry for the Eurovision Song Contest in Kiev later this year. It’s a fun-filled, highly choreographed event where twelve acts compete in Friends Arena live from Stockholm.
Our party will be in the Napoleon Room at Club Café in Boston. Food will be available as well as a cash bar. The event starts promptly at 2 PM! While free, registration is required. #melfestboston #NordicBoston
Address:
Club Café
206 Columbus Avenue
Boston, MA 02116
Did you know that puffins spend most of their life at sea only to return to land to mate each spring? Over half of the worlds population of puffins return to Iceland each year… that is 8-10 million birds! The Icelandic word for puffin is “lundi”.
Join us as we celebrate this adorable sea bird with a puffin themed craft!
Space is limited. Advanced registration suggested.
Sunday, March 5th | 12:30 pm
Admission $5; Free for SCC Members
Join Finlandia Foundation of Boston in a special centenary year of independence lecture with professor Börje Vähämäki in a discussion in the Kalevala, the Finnish National epic. Professor Vähämäki’s lecture emphasizes the world view of the Kalevala, allowing him to bring out the Kalevala’s great diversity – the myths, shamanism, “Finnishness” and overall moral and religious values reflected in the epic poem. He will recite and chant a few lines in Finnish (as a sampler) and try to define what the Kalevala is.
3pm | admission is FREE
ABOUT Börje Vähämäki
Born and educated in Finland, Börje Vähämäki received all of his academic degrees from Åbo Academy University in Turku, Finland. In 1975, he accepted a position as professor of Finnish Studies at the University of Minnesota at Minneapolis, where he taught until 1989, after which he moved to initiate and head a Finnish Studies Program at the University of Toronto. He retired in 2014.
Early in his career, Mr. Vähämäki specialized in Finnish linguistics and wrote his magnum opus, Existence and Identity (Åbo Academy University Press), as well as several articles. However, at both Minnesota and Toronto his teaching dealt mostly with Finnish literature, including the Kalevala, and Finnish cinema, and so he changed his research focus accordingly. Over the last four decades he has published numerous articles on Finnish literature and the Kalevala, and written books on the Finnish language, including Mastering Finnish, a language learning textbook and CD set.
In 1997, Mr. Vähämäki founded the Journal of Finnish Studies, which he edited for 12 years. In 1999, he established
a small publishing company, Aspasia Books, Inc., which has published over 30 English titles of relevance to Finnish studies, including Kivi’s Seven Brothers and the trilogy Under the North Star by Väinö Linna. His translations include A Treasury of Finnish Love Poems, Finnish Short Stories (with Ingrid Jensen), Red Moon over White Sea by Laila Hietamies, and Fragments of Lappish Mythology by L.L. Laestadius. He published two audio books of Kalevala poems in 2009. He was awarded the insignia of Knight of the Order of the White Rose of Finland, First Class, and was inducted as the 137th foreign member in the Kalevala Society of Finland.
Join SWEA Boston and the SCC as we welcome pianist Roberta Swedien for The Nobel Concert.
Listen to the story of Alfred Nobel and the magical December night with the King and Queen of Sweden at the Nobel Awards Ceremony in Stockholm’s elegant Concert Hall. Hear vivid descriptions of the Banquet in the Blue Hall and the Ball in the Hall of Gold, the day of the Santa Lucia celebrations and the Night of the Yumping Green Frog! With music by Hugo Alfvén, Wilhelm Stenhammar, Henrik Janson, Wilhelm Peterson-Berger, Nils Lindberg and yes, Quincy Jones.
Saturday, February 25th | 1pm | tickets $15; $7.50 for SWEA and SCC Members
ABOUT ROBERTA Roberta Swedien has been performing on four continents for over four decades in solo, chamber and orchestral concerts, television and radio appearances.
Whether headlining films in Sweden, Italy, or Hollywood, Ingrid Bergman always pierces the screen with a singular soulfulness. With this intimate and artful documentary, made to mark the 100th anniversary of Bergman’s birth, director Stig Björkman allows us unprecedented access to her world, loving culled from the most personal of archival materials – letters, diary entries, photographs, and home movies shot by Ingrid herself. The documentary follows Bergman’s life from youth to tumultuous married life and motherhood.
114 minutes. In Swedish, Italian, and French with English subtitles.
Free; donations accepted.
Films start at 1:30pm. Refreshments for attendees are served at 1pm. Lunch (not included) is available in the Kaffestugan, which is open until 3pm every Saturday.
After their public showing movies in our film series become part of the Scandinavian Library’s collection of DVDs available for borrowing by Library members.
Hear some of Boston’s best virtuosi on an intimate scale and join them in lively roundtable discussions in comfortable, friendly, and eclectic surroundings. Last season’s salons featured various trios and quartets and included repertoire featuring both classics and new works by Mendelssohn, Mozart, Ibert, Tomassi, Vivaldi, Dvorak, and our own Steve Laven.
Ibert Trois Pieces Breves
Mozart, Quintet K.452
Milhaud Cheminee du Roi Rene
Poulenc Sextet for Piano and Winds
Ann Bobo, flute
Nancy Dimock, oboe
Ian Greitzer, clarinet
Ron Haroutunian, bassoon
Robert Marlatt, horn
Rebecca Plummer, piano
An inspiring Education journey to the Nordic North in a cinematic portrait of childhood, education and play. Filmed in Denmark, Norway and Sweden and the USA, NATUREPLAY portrays the Scandinavian method of teaching, living and enjoying nature, juxtaposed with the high stakes/high stress American testing Edu culture.
Showcasing multiple forest kindergartens, adventure playgrounds, nature playgrounds, elementary and high schools in Denmark, Sweden, and Norway, NaturePlay film shows us a different path in”Udeskole”/ outdoor learning and the value of Play.
Intertwined with Scandinavian cultural attitudes and Nordic research about education, children, play and the outdoors, this film will open your eyes.
