Søren Malling and Danica Curcic to London

FESTIVAL. "Word of God" and "Darling" are making their first international showing at the London Film Festival 4-15 October. Competition films include "Winter Brothers" and "Bobbi Jene," both arriving with awards under their belt.

Several Danish premieres are lined up for the 61st BFI London Film Festival, rolling out the red carpet for this year's edition 4-15 October.

Søren Malling will be a revelation to those familiar with his more straight-laced TV roles - Sarah Lutton

Birgitte Stærmose's drama "Darling" with Danica Curcic and Ulrich Thomsen is world premiering in the festival's thematic Thrill section presenting "nerve-shredders," while Henrik Ruben Genz' black comedy "Word of God" starring Søren Malling is selected for the Laugh section featuring "humour in all its forms."

Also in London

More Danish films and international titles with Danes on board are presented at the BFI London Film Festival: 

A Drowning Man – short by Mahdi Fleifel
Kiwi & Strit Wash Day – children's animation by Esben Toft Jacobsen
The Maersk Opera – by Superflex
Thelma by Joachim Trier – Danish coproducer Snowglobe
The Nile Hilton Incident by Tarik Saleh – Danish coproducer Final Cut for Real

Selected for the First Feature Competition is Hlynur Pálmason's "Winter Brothers," and in the Documentary Competition line-up is Elvira Lind's "Bobbi Jene."

Graceful dance film and wacky tale

"Darling" and "Word of God" make up two of the three films which festival programmer Sarah Lutton recommends to Scandi film fans.

"Whether you're a ballet aficionado or not, this is a film you must see," Lutton says about "Darling." "Director Stærmose's controlled direction is gracefully balanced by the empathy with which she explores the pressures of performance and creative collaboration. Actors Curcic, Skarsgård and Grarup Elbo are all incredibly strong, with Curcic's physical transformation breathtaking."

"Word of God" receives these words of recommendation:

"As per what we've come to expect from Danish humour (think Men & Chicken), pretty much nothing is off limits here: nuclear fallout, AIDS, religious expression, masturbation, sex … It's a wacky tale, but sweet and rather grubby (in a good way). And Søren Malling will be a revelation to those familiar with his more straight-laced TV roles."

Read the full recommendation

Prestigious wins

"Winter Brothers" world premiered at the Locarno Festival in August, where it took home the Best Actor prize to Elliott Crosset Hove. The film made its North American premiere at Toronto Film Festival. Read interview with the director Exploring the Unknown

In April, "Bobbi Jene" won no less than three awards at Tribeca Film Festival. Read update Bobby Jene wins at Tribeca

"Winter Brothers" has Julie Waltersdorph Hansen and Per Damgaard Hansen on the producer team for Masterplan Pictures. "Bobbi Jene" is produced by Julie Leerskov and Sara Stockmann for Sonntag Pictures.

"Word of God " is produced by Morten Kaufmann and Signe Leick Jensen for Toolbox Film, "Darling" by Peter Aalbæk Jensen and Marie Gade Denessen for Zentropa.

All four films have received funding from the Danish Film Institute.

BFI London Film Festival 4-15 October 2017