Birita

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The Faroese documentary Birita is nominated for the 2026 Nordic Council Film Prize. The nominees are director Búi Dam, and producers Jón Hammer, Durita Sumberg, and Mark Steele.

This feature-length documentary by Faroese director Búi Dam follows his family of theatre-makers in the Faroe Islands as they attempt to stage Shakespeare’s King Lear. At the centre is Búi’s mother, Birita – an actress living with severe Alzheimer’s – who is cast in the lead role.

While directing both the play and the documentary film, Búi struggles to justify the project and its ethical implications. His father, Egi, tries to balance his roles as husband and caregiver, while Birita’s inability to give informed consent raises difficult questions about the nature of the production itself.

Yet amid these tensions, Birita’s joyful presence – freed from the limits of memory – brings unexpected warmth and lightness to the process, profoundly affecting everyone involved.

Director: Búi Dam

Actors: Birita Mohr

Length: 90 min

Audio: Faroese

Text: English

Age: All ages