Exclusive - True Content Production Norway sets strong cast for Brwa Vahabpour’s 'Europe'

Peiman Azizpour, Hamza Agoshi, Sarah Francesca Brænne have joined the Norwegian drama comedy co-produced by Romania’s Tangaj Production.

Europe (working title) is the directorial debut of Norwegian director of Kurdish origin Brwa Vahabpour (Countrymen) who received a Special Mention at Nordic Talents 2018 and multiple accolades for his 2020 short film Silence.

The up-and-coming writer/director has assembled a solid team on both sides of the camera for this heartfelt drama about identity and family ties.

The story written by Vahabpour with script consultants Molly Steensgard from Denmark and Răzvan Radulescu from Romania turns on of the young Akam, who lives a carefree life in Norway, when his uncle from Kurdistan comes for a surprise visit. When it becomes apparent that his uncle is planning to stay, Akam needs to make an ethical decision regarding the Norwegian authorities versus his uncle’s needs.

“The idea came to me a couple of years ago, while I was working on the TV series, Countrymen. I had already been working on the script for another extensive drama film for quite a while and felt like doing something completely different,” the writer/director told us.

“I recalled some situations in my life that had to do with relatives who live in another country than Norway where I grew up, and how distant I felt from them, even though we were a phone call away from each other. I began writing about Akam, a young man who gets a surprise visit from his uncle, and how his life is turned upside down as a result of that.”

Vahabpour says the film will include ‘hints at a larger political context but will focus on the relationship between the characters and how Akam is affected - for better or worse - by his uncle’s visit”.

Screen and theatre actor Peiman Azizpour (Furia, The Fortress) is making his debut in a leading role as Akam, while Hamza Agoshi (Gullruten winner for Norsk-ish) is playing uncle Khdr and Sarah Francesca Brænne (Sick of Myself, Wisting) the young girl Elina.

Crew members include DoP Jørgen Klüver (Nudes) production designer Kristian Lahn Vestby (Nach) and seasoned Romanian editor Cătălin Cristuțiu (Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn) who will work alongside Norway's Brynjar Lien Aune.

The film in post-production, is produced by Renée Hansen Mlodyszewski (associate producer of The Worst Person in the World) for True Content Production Norway, sister company of Copenhagen-based powerhouse True Content Entertainment, headed by Yellow Bird founder Ole Søndberg.

Romania’s Anda Ionescu is co-producing for Tangaj Production, with co-financing among others from NRK, The Norwegian Film Institute, Oslo Filmfond, Filmreaktor, Talent Norge`s scheme Filmskapere’ (Filmmakers), Fond for lyd og bilde, Fritt Ord, and Nordisk Film & TV Fond.

Norsk Filmdistribusjon will handle the domestic release set for the fall 2024.