Three teenage friends stuck in a refugee camp in the frozen north of Norway come up with a plan to escape over the mountain to a world where their dreams can be fulfilled. But when one of them falls in love, their plan begins to unravel.

Hisham Zaman’s third feature film, A Happy Day, World premiered at Toronto International Film Festival’s Centrepiece section in 2023. Regarded as one of Norway’s leading auteur directors, Zaman is best known for his films exploring themes related to migration, identity and belonging. His previous features Before Snowfall (2013) and Letter to the King (2014) both won the coveted Dragon Award for Best Nordic Film at the Gothenburg International Film Festival. A Happy Day is a bold and artistic film, absurdly located in remote northern Norway amidst the vast, snow-covered landscapes of northern Norway.

This film will be presented in its original Norwegian language with English subtitles.

The Los Angeles Kurdish Film Festival (LAKFF) is a vibrant cultural celebration showcasing the rich diversity of Kurdish stories from Kurdistan and the Kurdish diaspora. Through compelling films, this festival brings to light the complexities of Kurdish identity, history, and the ongoing struggles faced by Kurdish communities worldwide. With a diverse lineup of feature films, documentaries, and short films, LAKFF offers a platform for Kurdish filmmakers to share their voices, fostering dialogue and understanding around universal themes like displacement, resilience, and cultural preservation.

This program is a venue rental engagement. Member discounts and Frida Cinema comp passes not valid. The views and opinions expressed in this program do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of The Frida Cinema or its staff.