Norwegian director Bent Hamer, who had his breakthrough with the quirky ”Eggs” (1995), continues with “Kitchen Stories” his unique brand of social satire. Hamer has often been compared to Aki Kaurismaki, and while there are similarities, Norway and Finland are very different in humour and personality.

In the early 50s, the Swedish institute for housekeeping are doing research in the patterns of activities in the kitchen, with the intention to ease and increase efficiency in housekeeping activities. Part of this program involves field studies, where lonely Norwegian men are observed in their daily routines.

The story itself deals with the observer, Folke, and his subject, Isak, who by mistake entered the program, as he thought he would get a real horse and not a small wooden horse. Isak is very reluctant to be observed, he actually begins to observe Folke, but little by little, the loneliness of the two turns into a friendship.

The pace of “Kitchen Stories” is snail crawling slow. As scientific studies require patience, patience and patience, so does Hamer use this mechanism to put us, the viewer, into the chair of the observer, thereby extending the boredom and loneliness onto us. By doing so, any reaction or distraction from the daily routine, becomes a welcomed distraction, which in turn sets off the quiet profound humour of Hamer. Of course the entire premise by the HFI is naïve. Folke sits on his high chair in the corner, day in and day out, pretending to be invisible, not allowed any contact or communication. It is only a matter of time, before the loneliness becomes unbearable.

The point Hamer is making is, that human beings depend on interaction and relations. Where the Swedes follow Taylorism as a religion (the caravan of Volvo’s, driving on the left side of the road as it is scientifically safer, the approach to the study), they break down when unable to live by it. One researcher begins to drink with his subject, Folke reacts by eating himself sick in Swedish food, and the team leader results to firing those who can't stick to the program. As in all Hamer’s films, objects have symbolic value. In “Eggs”, the eggs represents living in a shell, in “Water Easy Reach”, the watch represents our dependency of time and in “Kitchen Stories”, the “chair” represents the approach to other humans. While Folke remains an observer, he sits in his high chair in the corner, only later to sit down next to Isak and develop a friendship.

With “Kitchen Stories”, Hamer has created a unique social satire, slow, quirky and full of heart. His best film to date and one of the best Scandinavian films of 2003.

Henrik Sylow