Two sisters, Nora and Agnes, reconnect with their estranged father Gustav, a filmmaker set on crafting his career opus in Director Joachim Trier’s comedic drama from Norway, Sentimental Value (Affeksjonsverdi).

In Trier’s film, after his stage actress eldest daughter Nora turns down the lead role, Gustav, a once-renowned Director looking to make a comeback, casts Hollywood star Rachel Kemp in her place which sparks old wounds, compelling them to face their fragile family ties and the bonds that unite them.

Trier’s intimate exploration of family, memories, and the reconciliatory power of art, Sentimental Value had its world premiere at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, where it won the Grand Prize and was nominated for the Palme d’Or.

On September 29, after the Eastern Region Special Projects Committee Global Cinema Series screening in New York, Trier discussed the making of the film during a Q&A moderated by Director Frank Oz (Death at a Funeral) and revealed how he preps for a shoot.

“I’m a big planner. We block and do floor plans of everything, all the shots. I hang out at locations with my team and my cinematographer and production designer – the whole team. We make the plans so that we can get rid of it on the day, so a part of that is I like to spend a half day in rehearsals, not to spend the energy of the actors, and to trigger them to go home and think. Ultimately, they’re much better at this than I am, so I leave space. Then, I go with the team, and I block.”

Trier’s other directorial credits include the features The Worst Person in the World, The Other Munch, Thelma, Louder Than Bombs, Reprise and Oslo, August 31st.