Stockholm Film Festival

Karsten has been released from jail over the weekend. He hits the town and goes bar-hopping with a vengeance and wakes up with an intense hangover - as well as together with his schizophrenic friend Peter. At the same time, the twelve year old Louise rings the doorbell and insists that Karsten is her father.
She seems to be the result of a wild and passionate night twelve years ago. Suddenly Karsten has become a father, a role he definitely had not anticipated. The daughter does not want to return home to her step-father, who does not treat her well, and Karsten can not bring himself to tell his daughter that he is actually in jail and is due to return after the weekend. Together with his schizophrenic friend and daughter, they instead head for Sweden. The trip has two pur-poses: on the one hand they want to see an elk , on the other they want to go visit a couple of girlfriends in northern Sweden.
Thomas Vinterberg's debut film is a full fledged road-movie. Despite the serious subject matter of fatherhood and crime, the director tells the story in a very simple and lively way - without exaggerated sentimentality. The script is witty and the director has chosen to emphasise the humorous side of this tragic comedy.
He has created characters that the audience easily can identify with.
Thomas Vinterberg belongs to a generation of young film directors that have brought Denmark a new tide of films. Like his colleagues, he lets the story unfold in a big city he has, however, chosen the comical path.
The main character is played by Thomas Bo Larsen, who gives the lost father life and personality. It is the type of role he has played before in, for example, ”De skrigende halse” and ”Ondt blod.”
Geir Kamsvåg

Medverkande

Thomas Bo Larsen, Ulrich Thomsen, Mi Maria Back

Producent

Birgitte Hald

Manus

Bo Hr. Hansen, Thomas Vinterberg, Mogen Rukov

Foto

Anthony Dod Mantle

Musik

Pete Rugolo

Talat språk

Finnish, Danish

 

Andra filmer från sektionen Northern Lights

Se alla festivalfilmer från 1997