Seattle Lesbian and Gay Film Festival 2009

If John Hughes had ever added a Norwegian coming-out story to his collection of contemporary teen classics, it might look and feel something like this edgy and authentic coming-of-age comedy-drama.

It’s the end of the 1980s: the Berlin Wall is falling, and the whole world is changing…except in the Norwegian town of Stavanger, where monotony comes with the territory. Seventeen-year-old Jarle’s sole escape from the grey tedium is music, so he and his friends attempt to form “the most hardcore punk band in Stavanger.” But when Yngve, a striking new student, starts at school, Jarle’s simple and familiar world is turned upside down. He soon finds himself struggling to choose between his much-envied relationship with the popular girl and the offbeat boy who captures his affection.

Based on the best-selling book "I Loved Them All" by Tore Renberg, and featuring music from some of the most cutting-edge bands of the time (including The Stone Roses, The Cure, R.E.M., Japan, The Jesus and Mary Chain, and Joy Division), THE MAN WHO LOVED YNGVE was a huge box office hit in Norway and continues to receive international critical acclaim and audience awards.