A short film about an accidental tram heist in Norway highlights anti-LGBTQ violence, the multilayered complexities of helping others, and the power of camaraderie — all in just over 15 minutes.
“Night Ride,” a film by Norwegian writer-director Eirik Tveiten, is a poignant tale that makes viewers reevaluate their reaction when they see prejudice, injustice and persecution.
Ultimately, it’s a film about “standing up to harassment,” the 55-year-old filmmaker told the Daily News, — more specifically anti-transgender harassment.
“Night Ride” takes place on a frigid December night in the Norwegian city of Trondheim, about 250 miles north of Oslo. It starts with a woman named Ebba (Sigrid Kandal Husjord), alone, bracing against the snow and wind as she waits for her tram in a deserted part of town.
When the tram arrives and Ebba is told she won’t be allowed to board for another 30 minutes, she surreptitiously steps inside to get away from the cold. All of a sudden the tram starts moving.
Just a few minutes into the ride, a trans woman named Ariel (Ola Hoemsnes Sandum) becomes the target of anti-trans hatred, as two bigoted passengers begin hurling insults at her with terrifying threats of violence.
Ebba, who has also encountered prejudice in her life, now must decide whether she will ignore the injustice to protect herself — or do something about it, knowing she could become a target, too.
Tveiten, a prolific filmmaker who has written and directed 14 short films since his 2010 debut “Friendly People,” said he wanted his next project to explore social issues. After talks with his producer, who’s an LGBTQ rights activist in Norway, Tveiten decided to address the issue of anti-trans discrimination and violence in the film.
Often seen as one of the world’s most LGBTQ-friendly countries, Norway has long been at the forefront of anti-discrimination laws that explicitly include sexual orientation. But violence against members of the LGBTQ community still feels all too real to some in the country.
“Night Ride” was shot over five days in December 2019. A year and a half later, organizers of Oslo Pride had to cancel the annual celebrations in the Norwegian capital after a mass shooting left two people dead and more than 20 hurt.
The film reminds viewers that LGBTQ-based violence is still an issue in the socially progressive Nordic nation — while highlighting the importance of speaking up for those who fall victim to systemic oppression and persecution.
The only LGBTQ-themed live-action short nominated for an Oscar this year, “Night Ride” has already won three awards in film festivals around the world, including the prestigious Tribeca Film Festival prize for best narrative short last year.
The film was also one of the shorts screened at Side by Side, an LGBTQ film festival in the Russian city of Novosibirsk in November 2021. However, the festival had to be canceled on its second day after the “audience came under serious threat from a homophobic mob of aggressive youths,” according to the Human Rights Film Network.
“Just to be in that festival meant a lot to me, because that reminded me, at least, that still there are parts of the world where [some films] are considered so provoking and dangerous to society,” Tveiten said.
“I can’t believe it, but this is how it is in some parts of the world,” he added.
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