Bille August prepares The Kiss after The Pact

Currently No.1 at the Danish charts with The Pact, the multi-awarded director is getting ready for the shoot of his next period piece, freely adapted from the Stefan Zweig classic novel ‘Beware of Pity’.

The project produced by Nordisk Film Production, with support from Nordisk Film & TV Fond, starts filming August 30 until October 22, between Hungary and Fyn island in Denmark. The premiere is set for August 18, 2022.

According to the two-time Palme d’or winning Bille August (Best Intentions, Pelle the Conqueror), the film under the working title The Kiss (Kysset), has been in the back of his mind for several years.

“The Kiss, which I have dreamt of filming for many years, is one of the most beautiful and unusual love stories ever told,” he said in a statement.“ In addition to the love story, its underlying theme of compassion, goodness of the heart, is important to tell, at a time when bullying and exclusion have unfortunately, become part of our everyday lives,” he comments.

“The unique story exposes some unknown aspects of the human psyche and touches upon a series of eternal moral issued, framed in a moving intimate narrative, about the encounter of two broken young people.”

On top of serving as a director, August has written the screenplay, anchoring Zweig’s story in Denmark, in 1913.

Joining August in this ambitious project are stellar talents on both sides of the camera. In the title role as Anton, the noble young man who want to complete his officer training in the cavalry is Esben Smed - cast earlier in August’s A Fortunate Man. Edith, whom he falls in love with, is played by rising talent Clara Rosagen (The Rain, Before the Frost). As her caring father, Baron Løvensjold is Lars Mikkelsen, while David Dencik is doctor Faber. Rosalinde Mynster is Esther’s cousin Anna.

Crew members include cinematographer Sebastian Blenkov (Their Finest, Adam’s Apples), production designer Jette Lehmann (The Pact, Silent Heart, Melancholia) and editing duo Anne Østerud and Janus Billeskov (Another Round, Silent Heart).

The DKK 33,3m (€4.5m) project is being produced by Thomas Heinesen for Nordisk Film Production, with co-financing from Film Fyn, the Danish Film Institute, the Norwegian Film Institute, Nordisk Film & TV Fond, YouSee, Clausen Group and Hungarian tax rebates.

Meanwhile August’s current feature The Pact, produced by MOTOR and SF Studios, is leading the local film chart, with 107,555 admissions from 130 screens in its second week. Commenting on the film’s performance so far, SF Studios’ theatrical sales manager Lars Hauch told nordicfilmandtvnews.com:

The Pact opened with 28,000 admissions the first weekend, which was more or less what we expected and had hoped for. On weekend 2, it did 30,000 admissions, which is quite amazing. It doesn’t happen that often that numbers are rising. But the reviews have been good and word of mouth is working. And then of course, we have to mention that all Covid-19 restrictions were lifted in weekend 2. So there’s now full capacity and no restrictions in any cinema all over Denmark!”

The Pact stars Birthe Neumann as an ageing Karen Blixen, at the peak of her literary career, and her fateful bond with a young poet, played by Simon Bennebjerg.

REinvent International Sales is in charge of global sales.