Denmark picks Queen of Hearts, Before the Frost, Daniel for Oscar race

The three films are sold by TrustNordisk.

Queen of Hearts has had an outstanding festival and audience run since its world premiere at Sundance earlier this year where it won the Audience Award from the World Cinema Dramatic competition. Subsequent major festival awards include Best Nordic Film and Best Performance for Trine Dyrholm in Göteborg and Best Director at the Transilvania Film Festival. Dyrholm plays as a woman who seduces a teenage boy, putting into jeopardy her career and her marriage.

Before the Frost by Michael Noer world premiered at Toronto’s World Contemporary Cinema section last September. The portrait of a struggling farmer and his family in 19th century Denmark, earned Jesper Christensen Best Acting prizes both in Tokyo and Chicago.

Both Queen of Hearts and Before the Frost were produced by Nordisk Film Production in Denmark. They rank respectively second and third among Danish films released this year.  

Daniel by Niels Arden Oplev opens domestically on August 29. The drama is based on the true story of Danish photo-reporter Daniel Rye who was held hostage by IS for 398 days, along with other foreigners including US journalist James Foley. Anders Thomas Jensen (In a Better World) has written the script, based on a novel by Puk Damsgård. In the title roles are Esben Smed, Toby Kebbell and Anders W. Berthelsen. The film is produced by Tookbox Film.

The Danish Oscar committee will announce the final Danish candidate on September 24, 2019.