NEWS

The Danish star director's 'The Kindness of Strangers' will premiere as the opening film at the Berlin Film Festival in February. Copenhagen Film Fund is proud to have contributed to making the film even more Danish

For the first time, a Danish-produced film has been selected as the official opening film at the Berlin Film Festival. The honour has been given to the internationally renowned director and writer Lone Scherfig and her new ensemble drama 'The Kindness of Strangers', which will kick off the festival on February 7th 2019.

In addition, the film also participates in the international competition of the prestigious golden bear.

The film is produced by the Danish company Creative Alliance - a company co-founded by Scherfig in 2013 together with a number of other  Danish directors and producer Malene Blenkov, who also is the main producer of 'The Kindness of Strangers'.

Danish skills and international prospects
Along side the Danish Film Institute and Danish broadcaster DR, Copenhagen Film Fund is behind the Danish funding of the film. This is the second time the fund invests in a Creative Alliance production.

"We are very proud to have helped Lone Scherfig and the rest of the team make this film a reality with Danish talent both in front and behind the camera as well as significant film shootings in Copenhagen. It is important for the Copenhagen Film Fund to support major Danish projects that aim internationally as it enhances Danish skills and creative visions. Therefor it is a treat to see that 'The Kindness of Strangers' is selected for one of the world's biggest film festivals,' says Thomas Gammeltoft, CEO of Copenhagen Film Fund.

The film's impressive cast includes Zoe Kazan, Tahar Rahim, Andrea Riseborough, Caleb Landry Jones, Jay Baruchel and Bill Nighy, who Scherfig also worked with on her latest movie 'Their Finest Hour'. From Denmark, Esben Smed and David Dencik are among the cast.

Previous films at Berlinale
The 'Kindness of Strangers' is Scherfig's first Danish-produced film in 10 years after a long series of international successes such as 'The Riot Club' and 'Their Finest Hour', which has made the Danish director a familiar face at Berlin Film Festival. She participated in the festival's main competition in 2001 with her dogma film and international breakthrough, 'Italian for Beginners', who won four awards, including the Jury Prize Silver Bear. In 2003, she returned with her first English-language film, 'Wilbur Wants to Kill Himself', and finally her Oscar-nominated drama 'An Education', which participated in Berlinale Special in 2009.

About ’The Kindness of Strangers’
Lone Scherfig's ensemble drama 'The Kindness of Strangers' follows four people as they go through the worst crisis in their lives. The main scene is set in an abandon, former glamorous restaurant in the heart of New York, where characters are tangled in and out of each other's lives eventually discovering that their hope and rescue lies in the hands of the new acquaintances.

Malene Blenkov produced the film for Denmark’s Creative Alliance and Canada’s Strada Films with the participation of the Copenhagen Film Fund, The Danish Film Institute and Telefilm Canada, DR, Ontario Creates, the Swedish Film Institute, Nordisk Film & TV Fond, Entertainment One and Ingenious Senior Film Fund/Apollo Media, in co-production with Sweden’s Unlimited Stories, Germany’s Nadcon and France’s D’Artagnan, Film i Väst, Arte Grand Accord WDR/ARTE and ARTE France Cinema.

HanWay Films is handling worldwide sales and distribution rights backed by Ingenious Media and Apollo Media. Entertainment One will distribute the film in Canada and SF Studios in Scandinavia. A domestic release date is not yet set.

Photo credit: Per Arnesen.