The period drama ‘Ustyrlig’ (lit ’Uncontrollable’) is co-written by Reymann and Sara Isabella Jønsson (Persona non Grata, Miss Osaka).

Reymann’s sophomore feature Ustyrlig which is currently filming between West Zealand and Copenhagen, is based on the true story of the former institution for women on the island of Sprogø, Denmark.

The film is produced by Matilda Appelin for Nordisk Film Production.

Toplining the cast of the period drama set in the 1930s are Emilie Koppel (Collision, You Disappear), Jessica Dinnage (The Rain), Lene Maria Christensen (The Legacy, Deliver Us), Anders Heinrichsen (The Pact, DNA) and Danica Curcic (The Chestnut Man, Equinox).

The story is based on real events that unfolded at the infamous institution on the island of Sprogø where women judged ‘morally defective’ or ‘spiritually weak’ were indefinitely held and subject of medical experiments, between 1923 and 1961.

In the film, Maren (17) is wild and unruly, and she is sent to Sprogø to be reeducated. But her stay on the island has the opposite effect on her, as it ignites a spark in Sørine, who after 6 years at the institution has otherwise been adapted to the norms of the time and the institution's expectations. Slowly, the young women build a friendship that ends up having consequences for both Maren and Sørine.

“The film is a tribute to the women who were placed in the island institution,” said Reymann. “It has been important for me to take as a starting point what actually happened at the women's home, and it is undeniably a dark chapter of Danish history that we have grasped. But at the heart of the story are the young women with all their energy, wildness and desire to life, that lights up the film.”

Top crew members who also worked with Reymann on her multi-awarded feature debut A Perfectly Normal Family are cinematographer Sverre Sørdal and editor Ida Bregninge.

The film is produced by Nordisk Film Production with support from the Danish Film Institute. Nordisk Film will handle the Danish release, set for March 30, 2023.