The House that Jack Built was allocated NOK 3,950,000, from Nordisk Film & TV Fond, the biggest sum ever granted to a feature film.

Set in the US, in the 1970s, the film will follow the main character Jack over a period of 12 years as he commits crime after crime and turns into a serial killer. 

Lars von Trier said in a statement: “We experience the story from Jack’s point of view, while he postulates that each murder is an artwork in itself. As the inevitable police intervention is drawing nearer, he is taking greater and greater risks in his attempt to create the ultimate artwork.

"Along the way we experience Jack’s descriptions of his personal condition, problems and thoughts through a recurring conversation with the unknown Verge – a grotesque mixture of sophistry mixed with an almost childlike self-pity and psychopathic explanations.“

“The House That Jack Built is a dark and sinister story, yet presented through a philosophical and even occasional humorous tale”, said the director.

Louise Vesth, main producer at Zentropa said casting of the €8.9m (NOK 79.6m) film will be announced later this year. “Some technical shooting will start this autumn in Trollhättan, Sweden and in Denmark. In the spring we will start shooting in the Trollhättan area, and after that we'll move to around Copenhagen, " she told nordicfilmandtvnews.com.


The project has already been pre-sold by TrustNordisk to several territories including the UK (Curzon Artificial Eye), Latin America (California Filmes), Benelux (September), and Poland (Gutek). Two other feature films and two documentaries received production funding as part of Nordisk Film & TV Fond’s September round of support. 

Further supported films:

  • Aniara produced by Annika Rogell of Meta Film Stockholm was granted NOK 1.4 million.
    The Swedish sci-fi project (based on the original novel by Harry Martinson) is co-directed by first timers Pella Kågerman and Hugo Lilja. In the film spaceship Aniara transports Earth’s population to Mars, their new home planet. But as Aniara leaves the ruined Earth, a colliding asteroid knocks her off. The passengers slowly realise that they will drift through empty space forever.

    In one of the title roles is Emile Jonsson who also starred in Hugo Lilja’s The Unliving (Best European Short Film winner at Berlin 2011).

    The project is co-produced by Vice, Viaplay, Filmregion Stockholm-Mälardalen, in cooperation with Gotland Film Fund, support from the Swedish Film Institute, SVT and Creative Media. Filming starts on October 31st and delivery is set for autumn 2017. SF Studios will handle domestic distribution. 
  • What Will People Say produced by Maria Ekerhovd (Mer Film, Norway) was granted NOK 1.7 million. This is the second feature film by award-winning director Iram Haq (I Am Yours) and is an intense and emotionally complex story about growing up in between two cultures.

    Inspired by the director’s own experience, the What Will People Say is about fifteen year-old Nisha who lives a double life. At home she obeys the traditions and values of Pakistani family life, but outside with her friends she is just like any other westernised Norwegian teenager. One day, Nisha´s two worlds brutally collide when her father catches her in bed with her boyfriend. Outraged and ashamed, Nisha´s parents kidnap and send her off to relatives in Pakistan. Afraid and alone in a strange land, Nisha begins a search for her identity and a sense of belonging.

    The €2.9m (NOK25.2m) project is co-produced by Germany’s Rohfilm Factory, Zentropa Sweden, Film Väst, and Denmark’s Snowglobe, with support from the Norwegian Film Institute, Creative Europe, Eurimages, MDM, MBB, FFA, Nordmedia and DFFF. 
  • The documentary Code Faith produced by Vibeke Vogel (Bullitt Film, Denmark) was granted NOK500,000. The film by Ida Grøn focuses on the director’s 94-year old beloved Grandpa. The respected dentist and freedom fighter under the occupation, worked for the CIA during the Cold War, although he denies it. Delivery is scheduled for early 2017. Rise and Shine World Sales handles international sales. 
  • Death of a Child produced by Anne Köhncke (Final Cut for Real, Denmark ) was granted NOK 500,000. Frida and Lasse Barkfors of Pervert Park acclaim co-direct. 

    Every parent’s worst fear is to cause one’s own child’s death. No other human error challenges our views of punishment, responsibility, justice and mercy to such an extent. This is a film about life and death, guilt and love, forgiveness and survival. The project currently in production is produced in association with broadcasters DR, SVT, NRK, VPRO, RTS and support from Cinereach, the Danish Film Institute, the Swedish Film Institute, Film i Skåne and Malmö Stad. Delivery date is set for early 2017.