Nordic Admissions - Danish, Finnish, Norwegian, Swedish films dominate local top 10

Nordisk Film Distribution was behind all Nordic films in the top 10 Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden.

“We are very happy with our local films that are performing really well in the theatrical market, and although things are not 100% back to normal - especially in Finland and Sweden - we do see that the markets in general are returning to more healthy levels,” Nordisk Film’s vice-president, sales and acquisitions Rasmus Krogh told nordicfilmandtvnews.com.

In Denmark, Nordisk Film secured the top three spots at the B.O. with the Danish films The Land of Short Sentences (Meter i sekundet) by Hella Joof, The Kiss (Kysset) by Bille August and Norwegian animated film Three Robbers and a Lion (Folk og røvere i Kardemomme by) by Rasmus A. Sivertsen.

Based on Stine Pilgaard’s best-selling book, brought to the screens by Maria Rydén & Jenny Lund Madsen, the heartfelt comedy drama The Land of Short Sentences starring Sofie Torp and Thomas Hwan continues to play strongly at number 1. Cumulated admissions after four weeks have now reached 251,394.

The well-crafted period drama The Kiss loosely based on Stefan Zweig’s novel Beware of Pity, entered the chart at number 2, and achieved one of the strongest openings to date for a Bille August film, with more than 40,000 admissions according to Nordisk Film The love drama stars Esben Smed, Clara Rosager, Lars Mikkelsen, David Dencik and Rosalinde Mynster.

The Norwegian animation film Three Robbers and a Lion came third at the local chart - just above Disney’s Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania - adding 16,445 tickets to reach 113,302 after three weeks on screens.

In Finland, no less than four local films were in the top 5 last weekend.

The latest instalment in the Ricky Rapper kids franchise Ricky Rapper and the Wild Machine directed by Maria Sid, kept its top place, ahead of Disney’s Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, and crossed the important 100,000 admissions mark in its second week on screens.

Jalmari Helander’s English language actioner Sisu which won four awards at Sitges last October including Best Film, stayed at number 3 after 5 weeks on screens, with cumulated admissions of 111,091.

The chiller The Knocking by first-timers Max Seeck and Joonas Pajunen opened at number 4, selling 9,749 tickets, while Marja Pyykkö’s comedy Ski Girls (Skimba Girls) was number 5. After three weeks, the film is nearing 40,000 admissions.

In Iceland, a record three local titles were in the Top 5.

The major international co-production Operation Napoleon by Óskar Thór Axelsson was still number 2 in its fifth week, just behind Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. The thriller based on Arnaldur Indriðason's best-selling novel has now sold 22,061 tickets for Samfilm.

The comedy Wild Game by Elsa María Jakobsdóttir was still the third biggest hit after eight weeks on screens for Sena. So far more than 50,000 people have watched the remake of the Italian hit Perfetti sconosciuti, starring some of Iceland’s biggest actors.

Meanwhile Hilmar Oddsson’s black comedy Driving Mum which won the Grand Prix in Tallinn, opened at number 5 for Sena, with 1,942 admissions.

The Norwegian animation film Three Robbers and a Lion is also performing strongly in Iceland, with a record 10,523 ticket sales for Myndform after four weeks.

In Norway, Jonas Lien Svartstad’s Tina & Bettina-The Comeback, sequel to the 2012 local comedy hit, opened straight at number 1 with 26,236 admissions.

Rasmus A. Sivertsen’s animation film Three Robbers and a Lion sold an extra 4,857 tickets, securing a 7^th place. The film produced by Qvisten Animation has now passed 341,200 admissions.

Meanwhile Erik Skjoldbjærg's war drama Narvik which is playing on Netflix outside Norway to strong viewing ratings, has passed 500,000 admissions in Norwegian cinemas. Only 10 Norwegian films have crossed this milestone in the last 20 years, including Nordisk Film’s The 12^th Man in 2017 and Kon-Tiki in 2012. The WW2 drama was still playing at number 8 at the local Top 10 last weekend, after nine weeks.

Elsewhere, the Viaplay biopic Munch about Norway’s iconic painter Edvard Munch, is making best use of its two-month theatrical holdback. The film directed by Martin M. Dahlsbakken which opened the Rotterdam Film Festival has now sold more than 50,000 tickets after five weeks, via Ymer Media/Scandinavian Film Distribution.

Ole Giæver's Let the River Flow released by Mer Film which won a FIPRESCI Award in Göteborg is also performing strongly with over 62,000 total admissions after four weeks. The film about the Sámi people’s uprise in 1978 against the construction of a large dam across the Álttáeatnu river on Sámi land, echoes the current protests of the indigenous community against the building of wind turbines in reindeer pastures.

In Sweden, the romcom Second Act (Andra akten) by Mårten Klingberg about finding love later in life, went straight to number one in its opening weekend. Nearly 25,000 people were tempted to watch Lena Olin and Rolf Lassgård fall for each other on screen.

The second Swedish film in the Top 10, Håkan Bråkan by Ted Kjellson added 6,000 tickets after nine weeks in the cinemas. The family film based on the popular books by Sören Olsson and Anders Jacobsson, has now crossed 300,000 ticket sales, making it the biggest local success since A Piece of My Heart in 2019. “At a time when US blockbusters dominate, this is a very good proof that Swedish films still deliver in the cinemas”, said Morten Christoffersen, CEO of Nordisk Film Distribution Sweden.

Another new opener - SF Studios’ documentary The King (Kungen) - by Karin af Klintberg attracted 3,544 Swedes. The film is an intimate portrait of Swedish monarch Carl XVI Gustaf.

Sources: FAFID, Danish Film Institute, Nordisk Film Distribution, FRÍSK, Finnish Film Foundation, Filmikamari, Norske Filmbyråers Forening, Film & Kino, Filmweb.no, Filmägarnas Kontrollbyrå