After having convened Wednesday 20 September for its final voting in the national Oscar election process, the Danish committee named Peter Schønau Fog's drama "You Disappear" as Denmark's official entry to the Foreign Language Film category at the Academy Awards 2018.
The film was chosen from a shortlist of three titles that also comprised Henrik Ruben Genz' "Word of God" and Fenar Ahmad's "Darkland."
Read press release from 23 August Three films on Danish Oscar shortlist
About You Disappear
Peter Schønau Fog's drama is based on Danish writer Christian Jungersen's bestselling novel. Mia is married to the successful headmaster Frederik, who is caught embezzling from his own school. But did he do this of his own free will – or has his personality been altered by the tumour lurking in his brain? The film is a story about the challenges we face as neuroscience forces us to rethink what we are as human beings. See more in factsheet
"You Disappear" made its international premiere at the Toronto Film Festival, where critics emphasised Trine Dyrholm and Nikolaj Lie Kaas' 'powerful' and 'moving' performances as Mia and Frederik. The cast also features Mikkel Boe Følsgaard and the late Michael Nyqvist. Domestic premiere was in April.
Schønau Fog wrote the adaptation, and Louise Vesth produced for Zentropa with support from the Danish Film Institute. Trustnordisk is handling international sales.
"You Disappear" is Schønau Fog's second film after his critically acclaimed feature debut "The Art of Crying" (2007), which was also selected for the Toronto Film Festival.
Read interview with the director The Vulnerability of Human Existence
Danish Oscar Committee
The Danish Oscar submitting committee is set up by the Danish Film Institute and national film industry organisations.
This year, the committee consists of Chairman Claus Ladegaard (interim CEO of the Danish Film Institute), Tivi Magnusson (Danish Producers), Anders Refn (Danish Directors), Jan Weincke (Danish Cinematographers), Jacob Ludvigsen (Danish Film Critics), Mette Schramm (Danish Cinemas) and Marianne Moritzen (Head of Fiction, Danish Film Institute).
Oscars 2018 / the dates
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will name the five nominations for the title as Best Foreign Language Film on 23 January. The 2018 winners will be announced on Oscar Night taking place in Los Angeles on 4 March.
10 years of Danish films and the Oscars
Below is an overview of the last ten years of Danish Oscar entries in the Foreign Language category (by awards ceremony year):
2017 Land of Mine / Martin Zandvliet / Oscar nomination
2016 A War / Tobias Lindholm / Oscar nomination
2015 Sorrow and Joy / Nils Malmros
2014 The Hunt / Thomas Vinterberg / Oscar nomination
2013 A Royal Affair / Nikolaj Arcel / Oscar nomination
2012 Superclásico / Ole Christian Madsen / Oscar shortlist
2011 In a Better World / Susanne Bier / Oscar winner
2010 Terribly Happy / Henrik Ruben Genz
2009 Worlds Apart / Niels Arden Oplev
2008 The Art of Crying / Peter Schønau Fog
See full list of Danish films and the Oscars
You Disappear
Mia is married to the successful headmaster Frederik, who is caught embezzling from his own school. But did he do this of his own free will – or has his personality been altered by the tumour lurking in his brain? Mia is desperate to uncover what kind of man she is actually married to. If the happiest three years of Mia’s life with Frederik were while he had a tumour in his brain, who was she married to before? The film is a story about the challenges we face as neuroscience forces us to rethink what we are as human beings.
