Armand is the Caméra d’Or-winning debut feature from Norwegian writer-director Halfman Ullman Tøndel. It follows widow Elisabeth (Renate Reinsve) whose six-year-old son Armand is accused of a serious transgression by classmate Jon. Elisabeth arrives at Armand’s school for a meeting with Jon’s parents, but it’s mediated by wet-behind-the-ears teacher Sunna who struggles to meet the gravity of the situation. Cinematographer Pål Ulvik Rokseth shoots the cast in close-up, capturing every furrowed brow and terse breath as tensions mount.
Arriving hot on the heels of last year’s The Teachers’ Lounge and this year’s Monster, Armand is the latest film looking at how children become collateral damage when conflict amongst their parents and teachers escalates. Unlike Monster, which used its triptych structure to allow the audience to slowly understand the full picture, Armand relishes keeping us suspended in the opaque web of its characters’ resentments and allegiances.
The majority of the film takes place in the school, with a significant portion of the runtime spent traversing its imposing grounds and corridors. These endless pillow shots, and an overuse of the sound of ominous footfall in the hallways, do begin to grate. But the grand setting heightens the sense of trepidation – Elisabeth makes sure to remove her lipstick and hoop earrings before going inside.
Reinsve’s physical performance sees her convulsing in fits of laughter, hysterically sobbing, and even dancing! The second of two dance scenes is a highlight, adding an expressionist layer to the film’s interrogation of cycles of abuse and the stigmatisation of single mothers. Armand is most interesting when Ullmann Tøndell leans into weirder moments like these, and away from a more conventional procedural beat.
Despite making the occasional frustrating choice, Ullmann Tøndel navigates the film’s high stakes and taboo subject matter with ambition and style. It’s a promising indication of the career that could follow, particularly if he continues to embrace his more outré instincts.
Armand screens at the Edinburgh Film Festival on the 20th (9:00pm at 50 George Square) and 21st (6:00pm at Inspace, 9:00pm at Summerhall) August
