enda
Film

The tenth muse

Torben Skjødt Jensen, Denmark, 2003

96 min.DK/Feature

The film takes place in 1964, in Asta Nielsen's apartment on Frederiksberg, where she meets the young filmmaker Lars Schmidt. Their meeting is set to discuss the making of a film portraying her life. Asta Nielsen receives the young filmmaker in her home, and she seems surprisingly willing to talk and to participate in the filmmaker's project. But he ends up being too close - too close to the truth. Asta Nielsen's private life behind the stage has always remained a mystery to the public. Lars Schmidt is thrilled: It is going to be a great story. However, he gets more and more inquisitive and begins to question Asta Nielsen's description of the relationship with her daughter, Jesta. Asta Nielsen feels threatened and fires the filmmaker. Nevertheless, she is determined to take over the production and make her own portrait film. Jesta becomes so appalled with the behaviour of her mother, that she, for the first time, tells openly about her life in the shadow of 'Die Asta': A cruel story about being "ugly" and "a failure" in order to let the mother's star shine. Jesta finally relieves the burdens of her heart and tells everything - but it is more than she can bear - and she commits suicide. The filmmaker comes to realize that revealing other peoples' secret lives, is not without severe consequences.
Basic information Credits Music Materials
Original title Afgrunden
Danish title Afgrunden
Other titles Et melodrama om stumfilmens Asta Nielsen
Keywords Nielsen, Asta
Director Torben Skjødt Jensen
Screenplay Peter Asmussen, Torben Skjødt Jensen
Producer Michael Bille Frandsen, Ole Reim
Director of Photography Harald Gunnar Paalgard
Editor Ghita Beckendorff
Composer Anders Koppel
Production designer Søren Breum
Appearance Vera Gebuhr, Vivian Nielsen, Ole Lemmeke, Lene Tiemroth
Production country Denmark
Domestic distribution Filmcompagniet - SF Film, Warner og Twentieth Century Fox
Technical info Dolby stereo
Danish festival release 17.08.2003, Dagmar, vist i konkurrence ved CIFF, Copenhagen International Film Festival 2003
Danish theatrical release 19.03.2004
Cinemas Grand filmen blev efterfølgende vist i Café Biografen, Odense (26.3-1.4); Øst for Paradis, Århus (2/4-12/4); Biffen, Aalborg (13/4-18/4); Gentofte Kino (19/4-25/4). Filmen blev udelukkende forevist digitalt (i HD-formatet)
Danish rating Allowed for children over the age of 15
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Companies

Production company Danmarks Radio, Point of no Return Productions
Domestic distribution Filmcompagniet - SF Film, Warner og Twentieth Century Fox

Direction

Direction Torben Skjødt Jensen
Assistant director Jan Maagaard

Script

Screenplay Peter Asmussen
Screenplay Torben Skjødt Jensen
Script supervisor Katrine Kjær
Script consultant Hanna Lundblad

Production

Producer Michael Bille Frandsen
Producer Ole Reim
Post-producton coordinator Jette Schrøder
Production assistant Katja Olsen
Location manager Emil Sparre-Ulrich

Cinematography

Cinematography Harald Gunnar Paalgard
Key grip Mark Mavrinac
Camera assistant Jesper Tolstrup

Stills

Stills Bjarne Bergius Hermansen

Electrical dept.

Best boy Thomas Ditzel
Best boy Søren Maarbjerg
Best boy Thomas Petersen
Gaffer Aslak Lytthans

Editing

Editing Ghita Beckendorff

Music

Music Anders Koppel

Production design

Production designer Søren Breum
Props Benny Jørgensen
Props Henrik Skov Larsen
Props Mogens Schwartzberg
Props Jon Truelsen
Set manager Torben Gerløv

Wardrobe

Wardrobe Nancy Nickerson
Wardrobe Sidsel Post

Makeup

Makeup Tina Helmark
Makeup Lise-Lotte Kobberø

Sound

Sound Peter Christian Hansen
Sound Jeppe Jungersen
Sound assistant Verner Pilegaard

Visual effects

Graphic design Kirsten Larsen
Colourist Sven Nielsen

Appearance

Asta Nielsen Vera Gebuhr
Den unge Asta Nielsen Vivian Nielsen
Lars Schmidt Ole Lemmeke
Jesta Lene Tiemroth
Siv, Lars Schmidts kæreste Trine Dyrholm
Urban Gad Steen Stig Lommer
Grigori Chmara Lars Simonsen
Paul Vermehren Lars Mikkelsen
Poul Reumert Jesper Lohmann
Lotten Stina Ekblad
Frederik Plesner Jesper Asholt
Jerndorff Claus Bue
Johanne Bolette Engstrøm Bjerre
Johanne Sarah Boberg
Adoptivmor Gitte Christensen
Far Claus Flygare
Onkel Anton Thomas Waern Gabrielsson
Jesta Sophia Gormsen
Mor Inger Hovman
Adoptivfar Morten Kirkskov
Fru Jerndorff Berrit Kvorning
Unge Asta Nielsen Sofie Vind Lerstrup
Frk. Poulsen Anne Oppenhagen Pagh
Kødgrosseren Steen Springborg
Amalie Cecilie Egemose Østerby
Appearance Niels Berg
Appearance Ole Egholm
Appearance Line Druedal Leonhardt
Appearance Anna Reumert
Appearance Sisse Siegumfeldt

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Music Year Composer
Afgrunden [Score] 2003 Anders Koppel
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Reviews and articles

On the library you can find these articles and revies and other material about the film.
Type Source Author Date
Anmeldelse
Artikel
Interview
Varia
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