Denmark’s record in the Oscar category for Best Foreign Language Film over the last decade won’t disappear from the record books in a hurry.
Over the past seven years, it has picked up an impressive five nominations and one statuette: Susanne Bier’s ‘Hævnen’ for 2010.
Additionally, it made December’s nine-film shortlist for 2011, so six of its seven films have been in contention going into the new year – not bad for an award that attracts between 80 and 100 entries.
Don’t join the filicide club
Peter Schønau Fog’s ‘Du forsvinder’ (‘You Disappear’) clearly has a lot to live up to.
Fail to be shortlisted in December, and it will join ‘Sorg og glæde’, a rather depressing autobiographical film by Nils Malmros about his wife killing their child, as the only Danish film to not make it this decade.
Danish cinema, just like its Nordic noir TV, is clearly on a roll.
Number three for super Trine
‘Du forsvinder’ saw off competition from Henrik Ruben Genz’s ‘Gud taler ud’ and Fenar Ahmad’s ‘Underverden’, but frankly they didn’t have a chance given the acting pedigree on board.
Starring as husband and wife are Nikolaj Lie Kaas and Trine Dyrholm, the country’s answer to Meryl Streep, who has won five Bodils and four Roberts – Denmark’s answer to the Oscars and the Golden Globes.
Surprisingly, this is only her third Oscar-nominated Danish film this decade, following ‘Hævnen’ and ‘En kongelig affære’.
Additionally, the film features one of the last ever performances by the Swedish actor Michael Nyqvist, who played Mikael Blomkvist in the Millennium trilogy.
DFI confident of choice
Produced by Zentropa with support from the Danish Film Institute (DFI), this is Fog’s second feature-length film following ‘Kunsten at græde i kor’ in 2006.
Nevertheless, Claus Ladegaard, the acting head of the DFI, is confident the film, which recently premiered at the Toronto Film Festival, is Denmark’s best chance of winning because it “tackles a complex theme of guilt and responsibility in an original way” and “challenges” the audience.
