House of Fools

A woman who has hit rock bottom gets some help getting back on her feet (whether she likes it or not) in this comedy-drama from Norwegian filmmaker Eva Isaksen. Aina (Ingrid Bolso Berdal) is a troubled young woman with a fierce rebellious streak but a shaky will to live. One evening, Aina's self-destructive impulses come to a head and she tries to commit suicide by throwing herself through a plate glass window. Aina survives, and she finds herself committed to a mental hospital by her parents for treatment. Aina makes no secret of her annoyance with her doctors and the other patients, and she has little patience for group therapy, drug testing or learning to sew. But in time Aina develops a rapport with Dr. Freiner (Rolf Lassgard), a psychiatrist whose cynicism doesn't overpower his desire to help, and she finds herself drawn to Stetson (Thorbjorn Harr), a handsome therapist who works with horses. De Gales Hus (aka House of Fools) received its United States premiere at the 2010 Cinequest Film Festival.