Our Mad in America affiliate, Mad in Norway, is hosting an international film festival from September 24-26 in Lillehammer, Norway. For the next few months, we will be posting trailers of some of the films that will be shown. This week is the film, The Dance Club
Short synopsis from producer
Why do so many people suffer when we could actually be happy? At the Care psychiatric clinic, profit takes precedence over people, and more patients mean greater profits. Psychology student Johannes doesn’t fit in at his internship at Care. He meets Rose, Markus, Emily, and Rakel—patients with various challenges—and together they form a special group—The Dance Club—where they explore whether there are other treatment methods to alleviate the pain bubbling beneath the surface.
Summary
This Swedish drama takes place at the Care Neuropsychological Assessment Clinic, where psychology student Markus is doing his internship. After silently observing his supervisor’s consultations, he begins to ask questions—both directly to patients and to his supervisor. How are they really doing in life? For Markus, it is their underlying emotional needs and motivations that should be addressed, but for the Care Clinic, this is an unnecessarily complicated and old-fashioned approach. The clinic is also paid per assessment, and it is considered in the patients’ best interests to keep things simple and efficient.
As fate would have it, Markus starts occupying the Care Clinic premises on weekends and after closing time, with a group of four individuals who later will become his close friends—all of whom are patients at the clinic. One of the women in the group is a performance dancer who stages uninvited performances as part of her personal expression. Her aim is to confront shame and ridicule, express emotions, and resist oppression.
Together, the five set out to visit people and places that represent the most painful experiences in each of their lives. Through dance, intense confrontations, and emotional expression, they begin to experience personal growth and transformation.
The film explores themes such as equality versus authority and receiving versus giving help. It questions what is true, real, and valuable, while highlighting the cold, profit-driven nature of diagnostic treatment approaches. Despite its strong message, the film balances its critique with humor and compelling performances, ultimately evoking both laughter and empathy and leaving the audience with a powerful sense of emotional release.
The film’s website is https://www.imdb.com/title/tt33269715/
This and many other films will be presented at the Mad in Norway International Film Festival in Lillehammer, Norway September 24 – 26, 2026. Please visit Mad in Norway International Film Festival’s website at madinnorwayfilmfest.org to find out more about festival programming, tickets, and other information. We hope to see you there!
And stay tuned here each week for more exciting films!
