Just Film: Brightly Shining

It is December and Christmas is approaching. Ten-year-old Ronja is on her way home from school. She is holding a piece of paper with a phone number that she thinks could make this Christmas special. Ronja lives in Tøyen, Oslo, with her father and older sister, Melissa. The holidays are just around the corner, and her father is out of work again. When Ronja helps him find a job selling Christmas trees in the market square, it seems as though his luck has turned. Suddenly, the fridge is full, and their loving father smells of spruce instead of beer. However, as soon as he has money, the temptations at the local pub become too great. Once again, the girls are forced to fend for themselves. Like her father, Ronja is a dreamer and uses her vivid imagination as both a shield and an escape. Above all, she fantasises about living with her sister in a cabin deep in the forest. “Shining Brisght” is a heartwarming tale of a father who tries his best but falls short, an older sister who tries to fill his shoes, and a younger sister who never loses hope.