A Film About The World’s Oldest VB Players

We are in love with the trailer and now we can’t wait to see this movie, The Optimists (Optimistene).

Per nfi.no:

Despite their weekly training sessions the volleyball ladies THE OPTIMISTS (66-98) have not played a match for 30 years. Now this is exactly the plan. But against whom? Rumours say there is a group of handsome Swedish gentlemen across the border. Goro (98) is the Queen of the team with her will power and purple Converse shoes. Laughter is their match strategy.
Many of us fear age. Maybe these ball playing ladies will change our ideas.

The Optimists is a moving, humorous and absorbing documentary film about an extraordinary volleyball team in Hamar town, consisting of ladies between 66 and 98 years of age. Even though the team has been training once a week for 40 years, it has not played a single game the last 30 years. Now they have decided they would finally like to play a game. But who would they play against? Maybe they can find a team of handsome men in the neighbouring village Brumunddal? Or do they have to go to Sweden to find a worthy opponent?

Goro, 98, is the queen of the team. With her willpower, joy of life and pink Converse shoes, she is the incarnation of the team’s philosophy of life. But the challenges of old age also affect Goro. Loneliness and yearning often knock on her door. On those occasions, it’s imperative to fight her way through the challenges and set new goals for herself.

The film follows her and the team – in everyday life and on the court – from when they decide to play one last game, through their preparations, and until the game finally takes place. – And soon the strategy is clear: Laughter, training, team spirit, crochet flowers, and maybe a few handsome Swedish gentlemen?

According to this article, the film won The Ray of Sunshine Award at the 2013 Norwegian Film Festival:

Skofteland Film and director Gunhild Westhagen Magnor won the Ray of Sunshine statuette for the heart-warming documentary The Optimists, as the only Norwegian award winner.

The Ray of Sunshine went to Gunhild Westhagen Magnor’s documentary The Optimists, about the volleyball ladies in Hamar aged 66 to 98. The jury states that The Optimists, which is distributed by Norsk Filmdistribusjon, is an exceptionally humane and heart-warming film, whose theatrical release deserves to reach a wide audience.

– We were never in doubt that this film was an obvious winner, the jury members write and follow up with:

– It gives us the belief that spirit, courage and a big helping of self-irony will make life much better. This is a film where the audience laugh, smile and cry, so: a real Ray of Sunshine.

The jury for The Ray of Sunshine consisted of Jury President Elisabeth Dahl from Lillesand kino, Erlend Serigstad from Bryne kino, Espen Pedersen from Norsk kino and Christin Berg from Oslo kino. The statuette has been made after Fritz Røed’s sculpture «Gledessprederen» (“The Ray of Sunshine”) and is given by the bank DNB.

There are so many reasons to watch this film and one of them is Goro who is a 98 year old volleyball player.

Heartwarming and Humurous!

A Must See!