For his third feature film after the critically acclaimed Applause and A Funny Man, writer/director Zandvliet is tackling a sensitive chapter of Danish history when in May 1945 young German prisoners of war were forced to clear land-mines on the West Coast of Denmark. “Land of Mine is a film about hate, revenge and forgiveness,” said Zandvliet in a statement. “The film is not an attempt to point fingers or create collective guilt 70 years after the war ended. It’s more of a desire to show how a population’s hatred created fear and terror among a group of young boys who really had a sole desire in life: to come home to their mothers and father”.
The title role of Sergeant Carl Leopold Rasmussen in charge of the German PoW is played by Roland Møller (Northwest). The project with an estimated budget of DKK 35.5 million will start shooting in July. Nordisk Film Production’s Mikael Ries is producing together with Malte Grunert from Germany (Amusement Park Film), with support from the Danish Film Institute, DR, ZDF, Varde Kommune, Det Nissenske Familiefond and Filmförderung Hamburg Schleswig-Holstein.
Another major project, the NOK 68.75 million TV series Acquitted (Frikjent) produced by Brede Hovland for Miso Film Norway was granted NOK 2 million from the Fund. The character-driven crime series written by Siv Rajendram Eliasssen and Anne-Bache-Wiig focuses on the successful businessman Aksel Borgen (Nicolai Cleve Broch -pictured) who comes back to his home town 20 years after being acquitted of the murder of his high school sweetheart. His journey back takes him on a long road towards redemption and reconciliation. Geir Henning Hopland (Lilyhammer) and Rune Denstad Langlo( North) are directing the show produced in cooperation with TV2 Norway. Filming started in April and the delivery date is set for early 2015.
The 10x28 minute Swedish TV series for the whole family My Brother, King of the Summer Camp (min bror kollokungen) was granted NOK900.000. Producer Anna Croneman (Bleck Film & TV) says: “The project is an engaging drama about what it’s like to have a sibling that is not quite the same as the rest. The motto is: we all have special needs, some just a little more than others”.
The main character Sonja (12) is the middle child in a family where the oldest sibling Harry (15) has autism. During the summer, Sonja meets the cool 15 year-old Fanny and they become friends. Sonja invents an ‘ideal’ elder brother, ‘Secret Harry’, but the imaginary brother starts to poison her life.
The TV show is produced by Bleck Film & TV in co-production with Bob Film Sweden and SVT (for Barnkanalen) and co-financing from YLE and DR.
Nordisk Film & TV Fond also awarded distribution support to Nordisk Film Distribution for the theatrical release of Bamse and the City of Thieves in Finland and Norway.