Three Danish films are part of the line-up of the Cannes Festival's Official Selection 2022.
Ali Abbasi's 'Holy Spider' is selected for the main Competition, while Hlynur Pálmason's 'Godland' is running in the Un Certain Regard, a section focusing on works with a particularly original aim. Taking part in the Cinéfondation competition for film school films is Malthe Saxer's 'That's Amore'.
Danish film professionals are also represented in the collaborations behind several feature films.
The Cannes Festival runs from 17 to 28 May. Ses mere on the festival's website.
Read about the films below.
Holy Spider in Competition
Holy Spider is Ali Abbasi's latest film after his Cannes-winning Swedish-Danish feature film 'Border'.
'Holy Spider' is based on notorious and controversial events from the years 2000-2001 in Iran. A journalist descends into the dark underbelly of the Iranian holy city of Mashhad as she investigates the serial killings of sex workers by the so called Spider Killer, who believes he is cleansing the streets of sinners.
The film, exclusively in Persian, stars Mehdi Bajestani, Zar Amir Ebrahimi, Arash Ashtiani, Forouzan Jamshidnejad, Alice Rahimi, Sara Fazilat and Sina Parvaneh.
Iranian-born Ali Abbasi, who graduated from the National Film School of Denmark in 2011, had his feature film debut with the Danish-produced thriller 'Shelley'. He wrote the script for 'Holy Spider' with Afshin Kamran Bahrami.
Producer is Jacob Jarek for Profile Pictures in co-production with German One Two Films by Sol Bondy and with support from the Danish Film Institute.
Godland in Un Certain Regard
'Godland' by Hlynur Pálmason. Photo: Hlynur Pálmason
Icelandic-born Hlynur Pálmason's third feature film, Godland, takes us to the late 19th century. A young Danish priest travels to a remote part of Iceland to build a church and photograph its people, but strays from his purpose, the mission and his morality.
Elliott Crosset Hove plays the priest and is joined on the cast by Ingvar Sigurðsson, Victoria Carmen Sonne, Jacob Hauberg Lohmann, Ída Mekkín Hlynsdóttir, Waage Sandø and Hilmar Guðjónsson.
Hlynur Pálmason graduated from the National Film School of Denmark in 2013 and made his debut in 2017 with the critically acclaimed 'Winter Brothers', also featuring Elliott Crosset Hove.
'Godland' is produced by Snowglobe by Katrin Pors, Eva Jakobsen and Mikkel Jersin in collaboration with Join Motion Pictures by Anton Máni Svansson and with support from the Danish Film Institute.
That's Amore in Cinéfondation
'That's Amore' by Malthe Saxer. Photo: National Film School of Denmark
Malthe Saxer's graduation film continues the Cannes success of the 2021 alumni from the National Film School of Denmark. Selected for Cinéfondation last year was 'Free Men', a graduation film from the same class.
That's Amore is a humorous, anti-romantic discussion of today's relationships. Anna Juul wrote the script for the film, produced by Anne Falkesgaard Hansen and Sophie D'Souza.
Co-production Triangle of Sadness in Competition
'Triangle of Sadness' by Ruben Östlund. Photo: Fredrik Wenzel
Denmark's Per Damgaard Hansen of Coproduction Office is part of the producing team behind Ruben Östlund's Swedish feature film Triangle of Sadness.
The film's Danish team includes actors Vicki Berlin and Zlatko Burić and, behind the camera, editor Jacob Schulsinger, VFX supervisor Peter Hjorth and music supervisor Mikkel Maltha.
In 2017, Ruben Östlund won the Palme d'Or for 'The Square', featuring Danish actor Claes Bang in the lead role.
'Triangle of Sadness' is produced by Swedish Plattform Production and is supported via the Danish Film Institute's scheme for minor co-productions.
Co-production Boy from Heaven in Competition
'Boy from Heaven' by Tarik Saleh. Photo: Atmo Rights
Monica Hellström and Signe Byrge Sørensen from Final Cut for Real are Danish co-producers on the Swedish feature film Boy from Heaven, directed by Tarik Saleh. Hellström and Byrge Sørensen were on the team behind this year's Danish Oscar success 'Flee'.
The Danish team also includes actor Hassan El Sayed, editor Theis Schmidt, editing consultant Janus Billeskov Jansen, VFX Supervisor Peter Hjorth and VFX producer Mikael Windelin.
'Boy from Heaven' has Swedish Atmo Rights as main producer and is supported via the Danish Film Institute's scheme for minor co-productions. Final Cut for Real was also co-producers on Atmo Rights' and Tarik Saleh's Sundance winner 'The Nile Hilton Incident'.
Co-production The Woodcutter Story in Critics' Week
'The Woodcutter Story' by Mikko Myllylahti. Photo: Tero Ahonen
The Finnish feature film The Woodcutter Story by Mikko Myllylahti is co-produced by Denmark's Peter Hyldahl of Beofilm.
Danish film professionals include sound designer and music supervisor Peter Albrechtsen, composer Jonas Struck, the Theatre of Voices ensemble, colorist Edoardo Rebecchi and post production by Beo Post. The film, which is Mikko Myllylahti's debut feature, is produced by Finland's Aamu Film Company.
Co-production The Blue Caftan in Un Certain Regard
'The Blue Caftan' by Maryam Touzani. Photo: Ali n’ Productions
The Danish co-producers behind The Blue Caftan are Mikkel Jersin, Eva Jakobsen and Katrin Pors from Snowglobe. The film is Maryam Touzani's second feature film.
Danes on board the project include sound designer Carlos Garcia and composer Kristian Eidnes Andersen, with sound engineered at Snowglobe's studios in Copenhagen. 'The Blue Caftan' is produced by Marocco's Ali n’ Productions.
More projects with Danish participation
David Adler's 2021 Venice and CPH PIX winner End of Night is selected for the Veer Future Award Competition for interactive projects, which takes place under the festival's market platform. The VR film has a script by Hans Frederik Jacobsen and is produced by Mikkel Skov for Makropol.
Finally, the French-Greenlandic co-production Polaris by Ainara Vera has been selected for the parallel Cannes section ACID focusing on cinema distribution for artistic films. The documentary is produced through the official co-production agreement between Denmark and France. Danish-Greenlandic Emile Hertling Péronard has co-produced the film for Ánorâk Film.