Nils Malmros’s semi-autobiographical film 'Sorrow and Joy', which deals with the tragic killing of a girl by her own mother, has been chosen as Denmark's entry for the Best Foreign Language Film category at the 2014 Academy Awards
The film had been shortlisted alongside Pernille Fischer Christensen's 'Someone You Love' and Niels Arden Oplev’s 'Speed Walking', but pipped the others to the post.
"It has been a difficult decision," Bo Nielsen, the CEO of the Danish Film Institute, said in a press release.
"These are three very personal films by directors who are very well known and who we can be proud of, and all three have been noticed internationally over the years,"
Documenting real life tragedies
'Sorrow and Joy' is certainly personal, as it documents the tragic killing of Malmros’ daughter Anne by his wife during a psychotic fit. The film explores the mental illness that caused the horrific event, and the search for resolution and love afterwards.
The biographical element of the film was not the only reason for its success, contends Nielsen
“Nils Malmros has a very long career. He is a gifted story-teller who dares to stand out," he said.
"He is not afraid to tackle taboos; he deals with universal themes and has the ability to move us. The director has loyal fans both in Denmark and abroad who admire his courage and personal style."
So close, but yet so far
'Sorrow and Joy' is now one step closer to an Oscar, but it has a few more hurdles to leap. It must first make it onto a shortlist of nine films that will be released by the Academy members a week before the nominations are announced in January, at which point the line-up will be reduced to five.
Danish entries have made it onto the nine-film shortlist for the last four years running, and in 2011 Susanne Bier's 'In a Better World' ('Hævnen') won the Oscar.
