Sentimental Value (Affeksjonsverdi)
Gustav (Stellan Skarsgård), a once-famous fimmaker, offers the lead role in his comeback film, the story of his own mother, to his actor daughter Nora (Renate Reinsve). They are not close though, as he had abandoned his family when Nora and her sister were still young, and she refuses. Hollywood actress Rachel (Elle Fanning), however, is interested.
Inspired by the lives of archetypal, dominant male directors such as Ingmar Bergman, both admired for their work and notoriously ruthless as human beings and neglectful of their families, Sentimental Value explores the child in them, the “sentimental” baggage that, yes, partly explains the armor they built as they went through life. Easier to spontaneously empathise with are, of course, the collateral victims of the selfish man: his daughters, who each adopted different methods to make it to adulthood without fatherly care. For one, it’s the reassurance of the traditional family structure, as a priority. For the other, who was burdened by the added responsibility of being, as the elder child, the protector, the life of an artist. An actor, of course. Justified in her exploration of as many versions of life as possibly, hoping that one of them can be her shelter.
An integral part of these screenings is voting for your favourite film in the largest audience award in the world. We invite you to rate the LUX Audience Award films you have watched: five stars ‘excellent’ to one star ‘poor’. Rate by 12th April and don’t miss the chance to win a range of exciting prizes, including a trip to the European Parliament to attend the LUX Award Ceremony on 14th April 2026 and meet the directors and film crews of the nominees.
Proudly presented by Cork International Film Festival in partnership with the European Parliament Liaison Office in Ireland, European Film Academy and Arc Cinema, Cork.
Watch the five nominated films for the 2026 LUX Audience Award for FREE at The Arc Cinema's GATE Screen (Screen 6), a space dedicated to bold, independent and international cinema, from Friday 6th to Sunday 8th February.
