Canneseries rolls out pink carpet for Power Play, Prisoner, Easy Peasy, Out of Touch

Once again, Canneseries is rolling out the pink carpet of its long-form series competition to event Nordic drama series.

After State of Happiness (2018), Countrymen (2021) and Afterglow (2022), NRK is back this year with Power Play (Makta).

The highly anticipated political drama features the charismatic and iconic Labour Party figure Gro Harlem Brundtland, the first Norwegian female Prime Minister who headed the Norwegian government for more than 10 years. The 12-part series co-created and co-written by Silje Storstein (Kielergata), Kristin Grue (The Machinery) and Johan Fasting (Home Ground), is a ground-breaking drama about a crucial turning point in Norwegian political history, told as if it unfolded in current times.

When the Labour Party is torn apart by a disastrous feud between the Chairman and the Prime Minister, the young idealist doctor Gro Harlem Brundtland, stumbles into politics. As the government implodes around her, Gro learns to play her own games of power, and ends up as Norway’s first female Prime Minister in 1981.

In the title role as Norway’s revered politician is rising star Kathrine Thorborg Johansen.

The series directed by Yngve Sve Flikke (Ninjababy) was produced by November Film’s Camilla Brusdal and Motlys’ Vilje Kathrine Hagen for NRK. REinvent International handles sales. The premiere on the Norwegian pubcaster is set for this fall.

Speaking to us, producer Camilla Brusdal said. “The series has been carried forward by committed and skilled colleagues at all levels. It is fantastic that Power Play has the opportunity to reach out internationally. The fact that it has been chosen [for Canneseries competition], might tell that the political power play, the struggle for position and the fear of losing it, is a timeless and recognisable subject, even though the action takes place in the 70s and 80s.”

The second Nordic series selected for the 10-title long-form competition is the hard-hitting Danish prison drama Prisoner (Huset), produced by DR Drama.

The six-part series is co-created and co-written by seasoned writer Kim Fupz Aakeson (Welcome to Utmark, In Order of Disappearance), together with Michael Noer (R, Papillon), and Frederik Louis Hviid (Follow the Money 3, Shorta) who also serve as co-directors.

The stellar cast includes Sofie Gråbøl, David Dencik, Charlotte Fich and Youssef Wayne Hvidtfeldt

The series follows four officers - Sammi, Henrik, Miriam and Gert, working in an old Danish prison. The story is set over a three month-period and kicks off when the four colleagues are forced to do a thorough investigation in the prison to save their jobs. The prison will ultimately close unless they manage to correct the bad press, hierarchy and drug trade dominating the workplace. The investigation turns into a battle for survival - not only for the prison but for everyone inside and outside the walls.

The series produced by Rikke Tørholm Kofoed for DR Drama is due to premiere on DR1 and DRTV in September. DR Sales handles world sales.

Both Power Play and Prisoner received support from Nordisk Film & TV Fond.

Another two Nordic series - Easy Peasy and Out of Touch - are selected for the Short Form Competition:

Easy Peasy (Manndag) created by comedian Fridtjof Stensæth Josefsen is presented by NRK, as the Norwegian answer to Mr Bean. The show is produced by Viafilm for the Norwegian pubcaster. Viafilm founder Anders Tangen, attached to the hit series Norsemen, Dag and Lilyhammer, serves as executive producer, together with Stensæth Josefsen and Ingvill Marie Nyborg.

Through the unusual format of 6 X 3’, we follow six different men who wrestle with themselves and their surroundings when confronted with small everyday dilemmas.

“This is a breakthrough format that NRK is developing and has allowed us to research', Tangen said. “It has been demanding but fun to work on this innovative format, together with the creator Fridtjof Stensæth Josefsen, who is a great comedian and actor in Norway. The festival - and audiences - have never seen anything like it, so it will be exciting to show it in Cannes,” said Tangen who also handles sales.

Speaking to NRK.no, Stensæth Josefsen who played Willy Wonka from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory at Oslo’s Det Norske Teatret in 2019, feels Easy Peasy has a strong international potential: “The content of Easy Peasy is quite physical. There is little dialogue and it does not play exclusively on Norwegian references. Everyone can laugh at it,” he said.

The series premiered on NRK March 30.

Meanwhile the Swedish romcom Out of Touch (Handen på hjärtat) is having its French premiere in Cannes, after its earlier showcase at the 2023 Berlinale Series Market and local premiere in November on C More. The show is produced by the fast-expanding Breakable Films, with REinvent handling sales.

Sara Shirpley (UFO Sweden) stars as Ava, a couple’s therapist whose success boils down to her secret supernatural ability to see into the future of people’s love life by putting her hand on their chest. Ava herself is very cynical about love, until she meets the romantic John (Hannes Fohlin).

A total of 23 world premieres and 13 international premieres are part of the 6^th Canneseries, which is inaugurating a new competition section with six documentary series. The jury is presided over by Oscar-winning director Asif Kapadia.

As announced earlier, the Morten Tyldum directed dystopian series Silo starring Rebecca Ferguson, is due to open the festival April 14 at Cannes’ Grand Auditorium. The out-of competition series is produced by AMC Studios for Apple TV.

The closing series April 19 is the out-of-competition US show The Marvellous Mrs Maisel - season 5 from Amazon Studios, set to premiere on Prime Video April 14.

During the closing ceremony, three honorary awards will be handed out:

• US actress/producer Sarah Michelle Gellar (Buffy) will receive the Canal+ Icon Award,
• UK actress Morfydd Clark (The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power) will receive the Madame Figaro Rising Star Award
• US showrunner Joey Soloway (Transparent) will receive the Konbini Commitment Award.
  

Other highlights at Canneseries 2023 are the two-day Canneseries Writers Club which is expecting 42 screenwriters from 18 countries, and the second MIPX Canneseries Connections, opening the festival space to selected international buyers and producers attending the adjoining MIPTV market (April 17-19).

For further information, check: www.canneseries.com