Gustavus Library Movie Guide: Scandinavian Cinema (under construction)

"Stig (Johan Widerberg) is 15 years old and lives in neutral Sweden while the rest of the world is swept up in World War II. Like many other boys in his school, he's in love with biology teacher Viola (Marika Lagercrantz), but, unlike other boys, he secretly starts seeing her. Viola confesses to Stig that he provides her with much-needed comfort since her marriage to Kjell (Tomas von Brömssen), a drunk, is falling apart. Their relationship grows complicated when Kjell discovers their affair."

"The story is set in Stockholm where 11-year-old Reine is on the verge of puberty and afraid of sexual maturity. He lives in a suburb with his single mother who sends him to one of the traditional Swedish summer camps which were common at the time of the setting and were managed by the cities for children in need of visiting the countryside. The title of the film refers to an island that is home to many such camps. His mother then vacations on her own, but in fact Reine never goes to the camp. Instead he spends the summer exploring the city of Stockholm on his own, where he meets several strange adults." - from Wikipedia

"Daniel, a successful international conductor recovering from a heart attack, returns to his childhood village in Norrland, in northern Sweden. As he confronts his past demons, Daniel also upsets the insular town's social balance when he takes over as leader of the church choir."

"In 1920s Stockholm, Roland is a young troublemaker who has become an outcast to not only his family, but his schoolmates. Raised by a Jewish mother and a socialist father, Roland defends himself from bullies by creating slingshots made from condoms he stole from his mother's pharmacy. While Roland learns to toughen up from his boxer brother, he starts hanging out with the wrong people and finds himself in trouble with the law."

"Three young men have an interest they all burn for – jazz. But in the 1930’s northern Sweden not many people like the new form of music. So when the three guys get a chance to make a journey to New York they take it." - from mubi.com

"Charlotte and Walter are busy with their 6 year old daughter Lisa, who in her loneliness invents an invisible friend P. He takes up residence behind the wall in her room but a tragic car accident throws everyone's lives into a spin. By magic P materializes as a young man and he must first come to terms with life as a real person."

"Teens Elin (Alexandra Dahlström) and Agnes (Rebecca Liljeberg) are schoolmates. Elin is upbeat and popular, while Agnes is morose and friendless. And both girls are very frustrated with life. Elin dreams of fleeing their dull Swedish town. Agnes dreams of Elin. Though Agnes has never acted on her feelings, it's widely rumored she's a lesbian. But when Elin kisses Agnes on a cruel dare, it leads to an apology, a growing closeness between the girls and a plan to solve the problems of both."

"Tillsammans, ('Together' in English), is a commune in the heart of Stockholm, still going strong in 1975, long after most members of youth culture have abandoned their notions of free love, harmoniously integrated extended families, and naive political idealism in favor of jobs, discos, and TV sitcoms. The commune's 'leader' is sweet, conflict-avoiding Goran. The arrival of his conventional, middle-class sister Elisabeth, (towing 10-year-old Stefan and shy, awkward 13-year-old Eva) disrupts the fragile ecosystem of the commune. The commune also has to deal with Elizabeth's abusive alcoholic husband Rolf, who is a jerk, but somewhat redeemed by his discovery that being separated from his family is painful. Meanwhile, Stefan and Eva's bourgeois attitudes infect the other children with the longing for the evils of television, meat, and new clothes. 'Together' may have set ideals for themselves too lofty for any human to achieve, yet great value lies in their attempt to enact a principle of ancient vintage: the one that says an unexamined life is not worth living."

"Lilya (Oksana Akinshina) lives in poverty and dreams of a better life. Her mother moves to the United States and abandons her to her aunt (Liliya Shinkaryova), who neglects her. Lilya hangs out with her friends, Natasha (Elina Benenson) and Volodya (Artiom Bogucharski), who is suicidal. Desperate for money, she starts working as a prostitute, and later meets Andrei (Pavel Ponomaryov). He offers her a good job in Sweden, but when Lilya arrives her life quickly enters a downward spiral."

"In a decript apartment, a young man watches as his father and a friend shoot an amateur porn film. Issues of morality, reality TV and friendship are explored." "The story revolves around a man who makes a pornographic film in his apartment with a male friend and a woman, while his teenage son stays in his room and listens to ambient noise music. The film is notable for its explicit imagery, including close-ups of vaginal reconstruction surgery, an uncomfortable anal sex scene, a masturbation scene with a toothbrush, and an extended scene about the woman's vagina. Moodysson leaves the interpretation of the film to the viewer: 'I have cooked you a delicious meal, but I'm not going to chew it for you.'" - from Wikipedia

"As an obese man carries a slim Asian woman across trash dumps and through dilapidated buildings, off-screen voices deliver a jumble of thoughts and personalities. A blend of identity, spirituality, consumerism and pop culture sounds like crazy talk one minute and sanity the next."

"Involuntary is a 2008 Swedish film directed by Ruben Östlund described as 'a tragic comedy or comic tragedy.' It features five parallel stories with human group behaviour as the common theme. The film is notable for its long takes with no cuts within the scenes." - from Wikipedia. "It's almost summer in Sweden and minor indiscretions and misbehavior abound. Leffe likes to show off for his friends and play salacious pranks, especially when he's drinking. Meanwhile a righteous grade-school teacher doesn't know where to draw the line : she insists her fellow educators need a bit of instruction. Then there are two young teenage girls who like to pose for sexy photos and to party, but one night in a park one of them is found passed out drunk by a complete stranger."

"An astute observation based on real cases of bullying. In central Gothenburg, Sweden, a group of boys, aged 12-14, robbed other children on about 40 occasions between 2006 and 2008. The thieves used an elaborate scheme called the 'little brother number' or 'brother trick', involving advanced role-play and gang rhetoric rather than physical violence." - from IMDb.com

"A prestigious Stockholm museum's chief art curator finds himself in times of both professional and personal crisis as he attempts to set up a controversial new exhibit. A satirical drama reflecting the times, about the sense of community, moral courage and the affluent person's need for egocentricity in an increasingly uncertain world."

"Master of social discomfort Ruben Östlund trains his unsparing lens on the world of wealth, beauty, and privilege in this audacious, Palme d’Or–winning satire of our status-obsessed culture. A model-influencer couple (Harris Dickinson and Charlbi Dean) get a ticket to the luxe life when they’re invited aboard an all-expenses-paid cruise alongside a coterie of the rich and ghoulish—but an act of fate turns their Insta-perfect world upside down. Pushing each provocative set piece to its outré extreme, Östlund maps the shifting social hierarchies with the irreverence of a modern-day Luis Buñuel and the incisiveness of a cinematic anthropologist." - from Criterion.com

"Roro (Fares Fares) is a Lebanese migrant who works as a gardener in the local parks along with his best mate Mans (Torkel Petersson). Roro is very much in love with his Swedish girlfriend Lisa (Tuva Novotny) but has a slight problem with introducing her to his family. With good reason, as his grandmother and father very much want him to get married, which Roro is not at all keen to do at the moment. They want him to marry a nice Lebanese girl, and have arranged for him to meet (and marry) Yasmin (Laleh Pourkarim), which is even less impressing to Roro. Lisa is getting just a little annoyed about not meeting his family. Mans on the other hand is living with his girlfriend but is currently having some problems with sex. He is getting a little desperate, too, as it seems to be mirroring his life at the moment. Nothing he seems to try is working, despite visits to the local sex shop and an alternative medicine therapist relative of Roro. With all the pressures being placed on the guys, things start to unravel somewhat."

"Surrounded by his family and friends Leo celebrates his 30th birthday by toasting the future. But when the party ends and Leo and his girlfriend walk home something happens that will change their lives forever." - from MUBI.com

"While awaiting the birth of his first grandchild, a widower (Jan Fares) takes his son's advice and, with help from his two best friends, looks for female companionship."

"The film, based on pre-Christian Finnish mythology and Sami shamanism, is set in Finnish Lapland and centers on a young woman, Pirita. In the snowy landscape, Pirita and reindeer herder Aslak meet and soon marry. Aslak must spend time away for work, leaving his new bride lonely. In an effort to alleviate her loneliness and ignite marital passion, Pirita visits the local shaman, who indeed helps her out; but in the process turns her into a shapeshifting, vampiric white reindeer. The villages' men are drawn to her and pursue her, with tragic results." - from Wikipedia.com

"The birth of the new face of Stockholm, the capital of Sweden. The transformation from town to big city. Demolition and modern conveniences." - from IMDb.com "In these films are shown events (big and small), people (famous and ordinary), places (well-known and long-forgotten), culture, art, music and entertainment of Stockholm."

"A young woman, rendered mute after a childhood sexual assault, is trained to seek violent revenge on those who kidnapped and forced her into prostitution." - from IMDb.com

"The film portrays the Swedish playwright, novelist, poet, essayist and painter August Strindberg's life 1849-1912. Through his extensive correspondence and literary production, from the supposed first work, the drama 'The Free Thinker' (1869), to the posthumously published 'The Occult Diary' (published 1977 ). But also his three wives, Siri von Essen, Frida Uhl and Harriet Bosse, and the children Karin, Greta and Hans are given space in the film. The unpublished first drama 'The Free Thinker', depicts a young man forced to break with family and tradition to follow his conscience and ideals, becomes a prophecy about the author's own life." - from cineuropa.org

"Swedish thriller by film director Kjell Sundvall. A police officer from Stockholm moves back to his hometown in northern Sweden. He starts to work on a long-running case where reindeer have been poached and soon discovers that his brother is involved. The film was one of the biggest Swedish box-office hits ever and received two Guldbagge Awards for Best Direction (Kjell Sundvall) and Best Supporting Actor (Lennart Jähkel). It was also nominated for Best Actor (Rolf Lassgård), Best Cinematography and Best Screenplay."

"A young woman is found brutally murdered in the Swedish country-side and the small town cop who's called to investigate soon realizes he's way over his head. The trace leads the investigation to Russia and South Africa. The small town Swedish policeman is caught in an international incident with severe consequences on world politics. Can he catch up with an international terrorist organization before tragedy unfolds?"

"Ali (Per Graffman) has settled in Sweden with his wife Clara (Maria Lundqvist), daughters Sara (Sasha Becker) and Jenny (Anni Ececioglu), and a certain peace of mind. But Ali also has a past; before he moved to Sweden, Ali fought with a guerrilla terrorist group and had a wife (Mina Azarian) and son (Ashkan Ghods) who died in a skirmish with government troops. At least that's what Ali thought had happened, before an elderly woman calling herself "The Courier" (Nasrin Pakkho) appears on his doorstep to remind him of his long-buried past. She presents Sara with a package containing a video cassette of Ali's first wife and son held captive by terrorists, as well as a severed finger and a wedding band. Ali is shocked by the discovery that his loved ones are alive, and startled by the demands of the kidnappers, who want him to assassinate a Swedish businessman (Claes Ljungmark) working with the repressive leadership of Ali's former homeland." - from Amazon.com

"After her mother's death, Nazil (Sara Sommerfeld) is raised in Sweden by her traditional Iranian father, Abbas (Said Oveissi). Still steeped in old customs, Abbas sets up his modern-minded daughter to marry her cousin Hamid (Rafael Edholm). Less than interested, Nazil instead starts a relationship with a young Swede named Johan (Alexander Skarsgård). Abbas is infuriated, but, when Nazil reveals a terrible secret to him, it risks dividing father and daughter forever."

"Seeking a change, young Swedish pastor Tobias Carling (Jonas Karlsson) transfers from the city to a church in the suburbs. Unfortunately, he finds that many locals are uninterested in attending services, so he goes from house to house to recruit churchgoers. Eventually, he meets the vivacious and wheelchair-bound Carola Christiansson (Livia Millhagen), who lives in a rough area. Despite their differences, Tobias and Carola begin a relationship that affects both of them in surprising ways."

"This Swedish film follows Erik (Jonas Rimeika) as he attempts to locate his recently vanished sister Sussie (Tuva Novotny). His search brings Erik back to the small town of his youth. There, he reunites with an old friend (Johan Andersson), but quickly realizes that he'll get no help in his search from the lazy local police officer (Kjell Bergqvist). In the process of looking for Sussie, Erik encounters thugs, drug dealers and many other deadbeats."

"Erik's life is full of violence and conflict. When he is expelled from school, he is sent to a boarding school as a last chance and is tormented by his classmates. Can he revolt against the harassment without breaking the rules?"

"Nabila is a Muslim woman and popular political rapper. In a Swedish white, male dominated society, she's determined to make her voice heard. But Nazi threats and cultural stereotypes stand in her way. Juggling family demands with her burgeoning career and university degree, she straddles a delicate line between two cultures. With both energy and charm, this classic documentary portrays a young woman coming-of-age."

"A movie based on real wartime diaries tells the story of the Swedish speaking Finns' infantry regiment 61. The story follows the regiment during the Continuation War from 1942 to 1944 and from Syväri to the Karelian Isthmus where they faced some of the most grueling battles against the Soviet Union."

"Mia, who's living in Stockholm, comes home to her small childhood town to celebrate her father's birthday. There she find herself looked down upon by her oldest sister, and she has to confront both her sisters when her father decides to give her the cabin by the lake, a sought-after place by both her sisters. She visits some people who are still living in the small town, and all seem quite content with the lives they're leading. However, as the story progresses it becomes more and more noticable that none of the characters feel good about how they live." - from IMDb.com

"The tiny village in the far north of Sweden called Ensamheten (Solitude) has sixteen inhabitants. They all share an unusual passion - armwrestling. Among them is 22-year-old Heidi Andersson, three times a world champion. Here is a varied life. One day in the forest with the other lumberjacks, the next she is in the big city modelling bridal gowns. She hunts moose with her mother and talks about boys with her father. The village is a cooperative and they are all behind this slender woman as she takes on the world." - from IMDb.com

"Set in a small Swedish town, the story is centered around three best friends aged 20. Michelle, a photo model, has a drinking problem which leads to a string of one-night-stands, including sex with the hot tempered boyfriend of Anna. She has just moved in with him and is too much in love too see his faults. Petra is their clever friend who must combine being pregnant with operating her own café."

"Nina’s journey starts with a happy trip to America in 1937. She is twelve years old and looks forward to visiting her relatives in New York. It ends in 1945 when she returns to her apartment in Lodz: of all the family, of all the relatives and friends, of all her classmates – only she and her brother Rudek are alive. They are among those three hundred people out of half of a million who survived living through the entirety of the Warsaw ghetto. 'I never regretted not staying in America, never' was Nina’s remarkable reflection half a century later. Nina’s Journey is a feature film, shot in Warsaw with Polish actors, but it has a documentary thread. The events portrayed in the film are commented by Nina herself, in an interview made before she passed away, in 2002." - from lenaeinhorn.se

"Detective Wallander works to solve cases in the city of Ystad along with his daughter and an eager young detective." Based on stories by Henning Mankell.

"Den Enskilde Medborgaren, based on the Scandia-scandal is a movie about the board of the insurance company 'Eden' whom by removing the bonus-roof helps themselves to a wast amount of money, all on the expense of the private citizen. Morgan, a music teacher decides to put an end to it."

"Magnus is a photographer, specialising in family portraits. But there is no photo of his own family, so he decides to create a collage for his mother’s 75th birthday. Time is of the essence, for his father is dying. In his search for old photos, Magnus meets with considerable resistance from his siblings and his embittered mother. All of them fear that he will open old wounds. Magnus himself is tormented by memories of his childhood and his father’s unpredictable cruelty. But gradually he starts to find answers to the questions he never dared to ask." - from cineuropa.org

"In the north of Sweden, a middle-aged mother and daughter move to a new town where the mother has taken up a position in the local hospital to be closer to the resident professor Gerhard Beckert, famed for his work in genetics. Somewhat unsurprisingly, it turns out that the creepy professor is in fact a vampire, formulating a pill to hone his vampiric powers."

"Halim distrusts the Integration Plan, a secret conspiracy with the goal of turning all immigrants into Swedes to which has father has fallen victim. But Halim is determined to save his father from forgetting his Arabic roots..." - from cineuropa.org

"A gay couple, Goran (Gustaf Skarsgård) and Sven (Torkel Petersson), want to adopt. But through a mistake on the adoption papers, they receive not a 1.5-year-old child, but a 15-year-old delinquent, Patrik (Tom Ljungman), who happens to be homophobic. With the agency unable to fix things for at least a week, the couple is forced to deal with Patrik's belief that all homosexuals are pedophiles. As Goran and Sven's relationship grows strained, all three learn something important from each other."

"Two vampire sisters, Vera and Vanja, are forced to run for their lives, when Vera kills the leader of a biker-gang in a night club. While escaping from the bikers, Vanja gets more determined that she wants to leave the outcast vampire-lifestyle and adjust to the human world. Vera won't accept a life in solitude and is willing to fight to make her sister stay."

"When Oskar (Kåre Hedebrant), a sensitive, bullied 12-year-old boy living with his mother in suburban Sweden, meets his new neighbor, the mysterious and moody Eli (Lina Leandersson), they strike up a friendship. Initially reserved with each other, Oskar and Eli slowly form a close bond, but it soon becomes apparent that she is no ordinary young girl. Eventually, Eli shares her dark, macabre secret with Oskar, revealing her connection to a string of bloody local murders."

"This colorful film portrays three Sami women of different generations as they follow the reindeer herds of Lapland. Their stories reflect the transition from a nomadic existence to modern life. When a court case questions their ancient rights to the reindeers' pasture, their life as reindeer keepers is at risk. The film captures the vulnerability of indigenous peoples in the modern world and the colonization process which has led to the present conflict over the right to land and water."

"The Feminist Initiative reveals the passion, pitfalls and promise of a diverse group of women working to establish the world’s first feminist political party in Sweden in the spring of 2005. Even in one of the most gender-equal societies in the world, the advancement of women’s agenda within the patriarchal establishment requires a revolution. Beginning from the innovative and inclusive decision to elect three party leaders rather than one, the film charts every trail-blazing step (and misstep) of the Feminist Initiative (F!) from their energetic start to the climactic moments of their inspiring, celebrity-supported rally. In the face of internal discord, public backlash, and a worrisome lack of funds, the Feminist Initiative forges a new path towards parliament, raising critical questions along the way about what women really want from their government and about gender differences in leadership. This is an invaluable story about the struggle to have women’s voices heard in a patriarchal, modern society, and an amazing behind-the-scenes film about what women do with power, and what power can do to women." - from wmm.com (Women Make Movies)

"At a remote house in the country a ten-year-old girl takes her first steps in the adult world. Her parents having gone to work on a development project in Africa, the girl is obliged to move in with her trendy aunt. But it turns out that her aunt would rather go sailing with her lover, and so the girl decides to look after herself. This marks the beginning of an adventure during which this ten-year-old is often put to the test." - from cineuropa.org

"A descent into hell, Jesper Ganslandt's disturbing and suspenseful second feature begins with a man waking up in unfamiliar surroundings, only to find the life he knew the day before is gone." - from IMDb.com

"Based on the best-selling crime fiction of Helene Tursten. Irene Huss is a former European ju-jitsu champion, a mother of twin teenage girls, and a Detective Inspector with the Violent Crimes Unit. Her husband, Krister, is a successful chef, and luckily for Irene, he gladly shoulders a fair share of the household tasks. At the Violent Crimes Unit in Gothenburg, Irene encounters a wide range of criminal minds from international serial killers to psychotic young girls. Each new case brings its share of quirks and quandaries to the table, sometimes forcing the entire team to put their lives on the line."

"Welcome to the unique chronicle of one of Sweden's greatest musical legends - Cornelis Vreeswijk. An honest, interesting and moving story of the intense life of this exceptionally talented but at the same time self-destructive artist."

"When a body is found on the bridge between Denmark and Sweden, right on the border, a Danish inspector, Martin Rohde, and a Swedish inspector, Saga Norén, are jointly appointed to investigate the case. It soon becomes clear that the murder on the bridge is just the beginning."

"The Age of Enlightenment, year 1790. After returning from the battlefields of a bloody war in Finland, Swedish army surgeon Johan Gustav Dåådh finds himself reluctantly taking on the job as district police commissioner in Stockholm. Unenthusiastic about police work, he still brings tenacity and dispassionate reasoning to the job, with an eye to ensuring that criminals are caught and the innocent remain free. His methods may not be modern but they work, and the motives for the crimes remain unchanged from today : revenge, greed, love, jealousy and politics. Beneath the calm exterior, Dåådh is as conflicted as the times he lives in; he's a closeted revolutionary torn between his loyalty to the King and his progressive ideals. He also struggles with forbidden love for his boss' wife Magdelena, who shares his vision for a just and free society."

"December 1942, two young soldiers leave their post at check-point 83 in Northern Varmland, Sweden, and make their way through the ice cold winter-night towards the border of Nazi-occupied Norway. Sweden stands on the brink of invasion and the soldiers want to see the enemy everybody's talking about. But the adventure ends in disaster and the following day Lieutenant Aron Stenstrom finds out that his brother Sven is one of the missing soldiers. With the odds against him, he is forced to go on a secret rescue mission behind enemy lines. Deep in the Norwegian forest Aron realizes that a completely different kind of line must be crossed if they're to come out alive." - from IMDb.com

"The 10 x 90 minute episodes focus around 5 of Arne Dahl's novels, each with a different member of 'A-group' to the fore. The cases the group are called upon to handle are of the highest priority, involving complex and dangerous violent crimes with an international connection. Their ongoing hunt for murderers and psychopaths puts a heavy strain on relationships, not just within the group, but on the members' private lives, which prove to harbour unexpected secrets - sometimes with a disturbing connection to their work."

"In She Male Snails intimate bathtub conversation between Ester Martin Bergsmark and the author Eli Levén, is woven together the story of the She Male Snails – a fairy tale, which revolves around a human between two genders who, in order to survive, creates a third gender." - from MUBI.com

"Real Humans (Swedish: Äkta människor) is a 2012 Swedish science fiction/drama series set in an alternative near-future version of Sweden where consumer-level humanoid robot workers and servants are widespread. The series follows the resulting emotional effects on two families as well as the trials of a group of robots who have attained free will and want their freedom from human ownership." - from Wikipedia

"Annika Bengtzon is a fictional character in a Scandinavian noir book and film series created by the Swedish journalist, publisher and crime writer Liza Marklund. With the Annika Bengtzon series, Marklund introduced a female tabloid journalist as the protagonist, in a genre where the main characters had often been men. Current events, like political scandals or women's issues, are often intertwined with the plot, or introduced in subplots." - from Wikipedia

"One of the year's biggest Swedish films portray a Swedish national icon and a star's dramatic breakthroughs and flourished in the sixties. Monica Zetterlund is an exceptional artist with a unique presence that lived a life on the stage while a turbulent love life hidden behind the spotlight. In the role of Monica Zetterlund, in her feature film debut, Edda Magnason, singer, pianist and songwriter."

"Sebastian Bergman (original title Den fördömde, literally "The cursed one") is a Swedish police procedural television series, based on two novels by duo Hjorth Rosenfeldt (Michael Hjorth and Hans Rosenfeldt). It stars Rolf Lassgård as the eponymous hero, a criminal profiler with personal problems. [...] Bergman is an experienced psychologist who, at the start of the series, has effectively retired from police work. With a reputation as a womaniser, he has for some years been recovering from the loss of his wife and child in the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami. A chance encounter with a former police colleague, Torkel Höglund (Tomas Laustiola), results in his being taken on as a consultant to assist in a murder case. Bergman at first gets on badly with the young female detective Vanya (Moa Silén) with whom he has to work, and is subsequently shocked to discover that she is his illegitimate daughter from a relationship he has almost forgotten. Seeing this as an opportunity to make up for the death of his daughter (for which he blames himself), he slowly begins to rebuild his career." - from Wikipedia

"In the small mining community Kiruna in Northern Sweden, north of the Arctic circle, on the ancestral lands of the indigenous sami people, a small community built around an iron ore mine. A group of youngsters about to take the leap in the adult age fight with themselves and the world around, while the ground literally trembles under their feet." - from IMDB.com

20 years have passed since the students in the class 9c left school and went their separate ways and now they meet again. But the festive mood will pass when conflicts come to the surface, and old truths are questioned. A sharp analysis of leadership and ruling hierarchies begin."

"JW now lives in exile and is more determined than ever to find out what happened to his missing sister Camilla. Every trace leads him to the world of organized crime in Stockholm. Jorge is about to do his last score, the largest robbery in Swedish history."

"Dino, a young Swedish girl, has fled the Swedish mass unemployment for a new life in Oslo. But like many other young immigrant Swedes she finds herself out casted and surviving on little money, irregular work and hard partying. When she lands work as ahousekeeper in an upper middle-class Norwegian house she is thrown into a life very far from her own. And during a few summer weeks, the family father Steffen and his teenage daughter Ida find themselves competing in a way nobody could have predicted."

"A travel into the life of acclaimed singer song writer Björn Afzelius. A man of many contradictions as a protest singer, political activist as well as beloved romantic ballad-writer." - from cineuropa.org

"Meet Ove. He's a curmudgeon; the kind of man who points at people he dislikes as if they were burglars caught outside his bedroom window. He has staunch principles, strict routines, and a short fuse. People call him 'the bitter neighbour from hell'. But must Ove be bitter just because he doesn't walk around with a smile plastered to his face all the time? Behind the cranky exterior there is a story and a sadness. So when one November morning a chatty young couple with two chatty young daughters move in next door and accidentally flatten Ove's mailbox, it is the lead-in to a comical and heartwarming tale of unkempt cats, unexpected friendship, and the ancient art of backing up a U-Haul. All of which will change one cranky old man and a local residents' association to their very foundations."

"Exceptional people make a lasting impact on their society, but what makes them so outstanding? The self-portrait documentary Taikon, directed by Lawen Mohtadi and Gellert Tamas in 2015, depicts the life of Katarina Taikon, one of the most important Roma woman in modern history. The directors spent years getting to understand the Romani culture and Taikon’s character. Although Taikon initially struggles with various forms of marginalisation and poverty growing up as a Roma girl, she later turns into a charismatic and empowered woman – completely breaking with the usual representations of Roma on screen. Consequently, this documentary is important for the Roma emancipation movement in portraying the struggle for equality through the life of a Nordic Romani woman. A sequence of original footage of Katarina Taikon herself as well as contemporary interviews with those who knew her best paint a comprehensive picture about the life of an extraordinary woman, who pioneered the rights of Swedish Roma. Her journey from illiterate girl to well-known book author, political activist and advocate for Roma issues is astonishing." - from romarchive.edu

"Stella is entering the exciting world of adolescence, but she discovers that her big sister and role model Katja is hiding an eating disorder. The disease slowly tears the family apart. A story about jealousy, love and betrayal."

"Rikard is an autistic and severely deformed man who was separated from his mother at birth. Thirty years later he is convinced that he will get her back if only he wins the Scandinavian Championship of pétanque. He tries to do the impossible. His fragile physique and a harsh judging environment are not going to stop him. Plus there is a 200 foot giant on his side."

"Elle Marja, 14, is a reindeer-breeding Sámi girl. Exposed to the racism of the 1930's and race biology examinations at her boarding school, she starts dreaming of another life. To achieve this other life, she has to become someone else and break all ties with her family and culture."

"A sleepy Swedish province hopes to lure a discount store chain by hiring a pompous commercial director to document their town's worthiness, but two bright, brash high school girls from immigrant families use their cellphones and selfie sticks to tell the real story." - from IMDb.com

"Customs officer Tina is known for her extraordinary sense of smell. It's almost as if she can sniff out the guilt on anyone hiding something. But when Vore, a suspicious-looking man, walks past her, her abilities are challenged for the first time ever. Tina can sense Vore is hiding something she can't identify. Even worse, she feels a strange attraction to him. As Tina develops a special bond with Vore and discovers his true identity, she also realizes the truth about herself. Tina, like Vore, does not belong to this world. Her entire existence has been one big lie and now she has to choose: keeping living the lie or embrace Vore's terrifying revelations."

"Follows the story of Astrid Lindgren, future author of Pippi Longstocking. As a teenager, eager to break free from her loving but strict religious family in rural Sweden, she accepts an internship at a local newspaper where she attracts the attention of its married editor. After Astrid becomes pregnant, she embarks for Denmark to give birth to a son, whom she reluctantly leaves with a foster mother. When the foster mother falls ill, Astrid uses her imagination and gift for storytelling to reconnect with her child."

"When a ship carrying settlers from Earth to Mars is knocked off-course, passengers must wrestle with the reality that home may be a lot further away than they thought. Crew member MR operates a sentient computer that allows humans to experience idyllic memories of their lives on Earth. As the ship drifts further into space, MR must keep passengers calm amid a growing sense of disaster." Based on the epic poem by Harry Martinson.

"The first creating impulse for a film comes from the writer whose work is the actual foundation for the film. But from the moment the poetic foundation is laid, it is the director’s task to give the film its style. The many artistic details are born through his initiative. It ought to be his feelings and moods that color the film and that awaken corresponding feelings and moods in the spectator’s mind. Through the style he infuses the work with a soul–and that is what makes it art. It is for him to give the film a face–namely his own. Because it is like this, we directors have a very large responsibility. We have it in our hands to lift the film from industry to art, and, therefore, we must go to our work with seriousness, we must want something, we must dare something, and we must not jump over where the fence is lowest. If film as an art is not to come to a standstill, we must work to create a mark of style, a mark of personality in the film. Only from this can we expect renewal." - excerpt from Criterion.com

"My Only Great Passion, the first full-length English language biography of Dreyer, is based on extensive and exclusive interviews with both Dreyer and people who worked with him. This biography provides the most comprehensive critical examination to date of both Dreyer's life and his approach to filmmaking. My Only Great Passion provides insights into the man who first raised European film above the level of entertainment and placed it in the realm of art." - from the publisher

"A restoration of Carl Th. Dreyer's first feature film as director, addressing the crucial conflict between the strict moral codes of society and individual morals. The judge in a Danish town sees his illegitimate daughter facing a trial for the murder of her newborn child. When she is found guilty and sentenced to death, he asks for a pardon, but when it isn't granted he decides to free her and get her out of the country at all costs."

"One of the world's greatest directors, Carl-Theodor Dreyer has long been hailed for such masterpieces as The Passion of Joan of Arc, Vampyr, Day of Wrath and Ordet. Now we meet a different Dreyer who engages with broad humor, then gradually guides to a wise, bittersweet resolution. Aspiring parson Sofren is engaged to Mari, but her father won't allow them to marry until Sofren gets a ministry. He's hired by a small rural congregation only to discover that according to local custom, the widow of the deceased pastor may marry his successor. An aged woman who has already buried three earlier husbands, Dame Margarete asserts her right in order to keep her home, but Sofren also brings Mari to the parish claiming that she is his sister. The two plan to wait for the elderly woman to die. When it appears she might be eternal, Sofren begins a series of silly pranks to hasten the old lady's end, but before her death her wisdom, dignity and selflessness teach the young couple a great deal about fundamental humanity. Called "the first real Dreyer film," The Parson's Widow (aka The Witch Woman) prefigures key themes in his later work. Beautifully photographed in the 17th-century museum village of Lillehammer, Norway, the film's original luminous quality is captured in this digitally mastered edition from a 35mm camera-negative print. Plus two rare Dreyer shorts! They Caught the Ferry (1948, 12 mins.) adapts the technique of Dreyer's horror/fantasy Vampyr to a chilling and unforgettable miniature on driver safety. Thorvaldsen (1949, 11 mins.) uses the long lenses and confrontational style of The Passion of Joan of Arc to illuminate the search for truth in the work of the greatest Danish sculptor, which turns out to have a surprising affinity with Dreyer's own cinema. All three films digitally mastered from 35mm archive prints. The Parson's Widow is speed-corrected and tinted, with new music compiled by Neal Kurz from the works of Edvard Grieg." - from Amazon.com

"Danish film master Carl Theodor Dreyer's Michael is a mature and visually elegant period romance decades ahead of it's time. Available for the first time on DVD, Michael takes it's place alongside Dreyer's better known masterpieces as an unusually sensitive and decorous work of art and is one of the earliest and most compassionate overtly gay-themed films in movie history. Collaborating with famed German cinematographers Karl Freund (Metropolis, the Last Laugh) and Rudolph Mate (Passion of Joan of Arc, DOA) Michael offers the first fully realized example of Dreyer's emotionally precise, visually extravagant style. Based upon Herman Bang's 1902 novel, Dreyer's Michael refashions the classical Greek myth of Jupiter and Ganymede into a love triangle between an aging artist, Zoret (director Benjamin Christensen), his protege Michael (Walter Slezak, later to play the Nazi villain in Hitchcock's Lifeboat) and Princess Zamikoff (Nora Gregor, Rules of the Game), an aristocratic femme fatale as entranced by Michael's youthful beauty as Zoret is. As Michael plunges from the dizzying heights of new love to the depths of theft and betrayal, Zoret experiences a spiritual rebirth from out of the ashes of rejection and despair. A film of exquisite artistry, Michael is both elaborately theatrical and remarkably restrained. Dreyer elicits vivid and passionate performances from his adroit cast, including the screen's only acting appearance by cinematographer Freund. Co-written by Fritz Lang's wife and collaborator Thea Von Harbou (M, Metropolis), this intimate and compelling film possesses a bold level of emotional detail and depicts the twilight of a male-male romance with unusual daring and subtlety." - from Amazon.com

"Spiritual rapture and institutional hypocrisy come to stark, vivid life in one of the most transcendent masterpieces of the silent era. Chronicling the trial of Joan of Arc in the hours leading up to her execution, Danish master Carl Theodor Dreyer depicts her torment with startling immediacy, employing an array of techniques—expressionistic lighting, interconnected sets, painfully intimate close-ups—to immerse viewers in her subjective experience. Anchoring Dreyer’s audacious formal experimentation is a legendary performance by Renée Falconetti, whose haunted face channels both the agony and the ecstasy of martyrdom." - from Criterion.com

"With Vampyr, Danish filmmaker Carl Theodor Dreyer channeled his genius for creating mesmerizing atmosphere and austere, unsettling imagery into the horror genre. The result—a chilling film about a student of the occult who encounters supernatural haunts and local evildoers in a village outside of Paris—is nearly unclassifiable. A host of stunning camera and editing tricks and densely layered sounds create a mood of dreamlike terror. With its roiling fogs, ominous scythes, and foreboding echoes, Vampyr is one of cinema’s great nightmares." - from Criterion.com

"Filmed during the Nazi occupation of Denmark, Carl Dreyer’s Day of Wrath (Vredens dag) is a harrowing account of individual helplessness in the face of growing social repression and paranoia. Anna, the young second wife of a well-respected but much older pastor, falls in love with her stepson when he returns to their small seventeenth-century village. Stepping outside the bounds of the village’s harsh moral code has disastrous results. Exquisitely photographed and passionately acted, Day of Wrath remains an intense, unforgettable experience." - from Criterion.com

"A farmer’s family is torn apart by faith, sanctity, and love—one child believes he’s Jesus Christ, a second proclaims himself agnostic, and the third falls in love with a fundamentalist’s daughter. Putting the lie to the term 'organized religion,' Ordet (The Word) is a challenge to simple facts and dogmatic orthodoxy. Layering multiple stories of faith and rebellion, Dreyer’s adaptation of Kaj Munk’s play quietly builds towards a shattering, miraculous climax." - from Criterion.com

"Carl Dreyer’s last film neatly crowns his career: a meditation on tragedy, individual will and the refusal to compromise. A woman leaves her unfulfilling marriage and embarks on a search for ideal love—but neither a passionate affair with a younger man nor the return of an old romance can provide the answer she seeks. Always the stylistic innovator, Dreyer employs long takes and theatrical staging to concentrate on Nina Pens Rode’s sublime portrayal of the proud and courageous Gertrud." - from Criterion.com

Zappa: "In the early '60s, 3 Danish classmates join a 'den'/tree house. Steen likes his pet fish Zappa because it eats the weaker fish. Bjørn attracts girls and Mulle is a talkative, strong boy. Steen gets them into burglary and later escalates." - from IMDb.com

Twist and Shout: "Danish teen Bjorn (Adam Tønsberg) listens obsessively to the Beatles as he tries to navigate his way through adolescence. His best friend, Erik (Lars Simonsen), lives in a dysfunctional household wracked by mental illness. Each falls for a beautiful girl, but Erik's love is unrequited. When Bjorn's girlfriend, Anna (Camilla Søeberg), becomes pregnant, the bonds of friendship and family are strained as the two boys struggle to do the right thing for their loved ones and for each other."

"Lasse, an elderly and widowed farmer, and his young son Pelle, join a boat-load of immigrants to escape from impoverished rural Sweden to Denmark's Baltic island of Bornholm. They are employed at a large farm in Denmark, where they are treated as the lowest of the low. It is ultimately their loving relationship which sustains them through a difficult year." "In Bille August's Pelle the Conqueror, Max von Sydow is so astoundingly evocative that he makes your bones ache. --Hal Hinson, The Washington Post." "The von Sydow performance is in a category by itself. It is another highlight in an already extraordinary career, and quite unlike anything that American audiences have seen him do to date. - Vincent Canby, The New York Times." "The film is a towering achievement, grueling in its portrayal of a harsh existence yet ultimately an exhilarating experience unlikely to be forgotten. --Kevin Thomas, Los Angeles Times." - quotes and synopsis from Amazon.com. Based on the novel by Martin Andersen Nexø.

"In this film about Ingmar Bergman's parents, young Henrik Bergman (Samuel Fröler) is studying for the priesthood and trying to make ends meet when he encounters the lovely, affluent Anna (Pernilla August). Despite their social differences, Henrik and Anna fall in love, wed and move to the country. They lead a quiet life as Henrik works as a clergyman, but it isn't long before the simple people and plain surroundings make Anna long for a more lavish lifestyle, which causes marital stress."

"A rancher, his clairvoyant wife, and their family face turbulent years in South America in this adaptation of Isabel Allende's best-seller." "The core of this epic tale spanning three generations of the Trueba is the stormy, yet passionate, relationship between the supernaturally gifted Clara and her controlling husband Esteban, who resists change both politically and personally."

"The beginning of the 20th century. Gertrud and Ingmar are in love with each other. While Ingmar is away during the winter, a religious wave spreads in the area, and Gertrud becomes a follower of the new christian belief. The new priest is very mesmerizing and he wants his followers to emigrate with him to Palestine. Ingmar's sister decides to follow him and sells the home which has been the family's for centuries. The only way for Ingmar to save it is to marry the daughter of the man who buys it, Barbro. With Ingmar married to another, Gertrud cannot stay and follows the others to Palestine. However, Ingmar does not love Barbro. He is still in love with Gertrud and eventually follows her."

"Police say otherwise, but scientist Smilla Jaspersen (Julia Ormond) thinks her young neighbor was chased by an adult before he fell to his death. An Inuit who spent her childhood in Greenland, Smilla learns that the boy's father died while working for Dr. Andreas Tork (Richard Harris) in Greenland. After sharing her murder theory with an increasingly mysterious friend called The Mechanic (Gabriel Byrne), she heads back to Greenland in the hope of finding a link between the deaths."

"In the late 19th century, Peter Sidenius is an ambitious young man from a devout Christian family in Western Denmark, who travels to the Danish capital of Copenhagen to study engineering, rebelling against his clergyman father. He comes into contact with the intellectual circles of a wealthy, Jewish family and seduces the elder daughter, Jakobe. Per, as he now calls himself, conceives a large-scale engineering project including the construction of a series of canals in his native Jutland, and lobbies for its construction. But just as Per seems to be about to make his dreams come true, his pride stands in the way." Based on the novel by Henrik Pontoppidan.

"Peter (Kenneth Carmohn) is a theater director and playwright. His wife, Marie (Trine Appel), is an actress. They are both waiting on callbacks that never come, and the more time that passes without any promise of work, the more their professional frustration and disappointment manifest themselves in their personal lives. In a bid to save their marriage as well as their careers, they decide to stage a Strindberg play. Because, as Marie repeatedly points out to Peter, all the answers are to be found in Strindberg's life and work. But who else will want to take part in their desperate, last-minute production?"

"Julie, a young passionate tennis star, falls in love with her trainer. She longs for love and affirmation, but also to be able to free herself from the demands of her ambitious and bankrupt father. It all turns into a power game that she will lose control of, and that have consequences that she never could have imagined." Adapted from the play Miss Julie by August Strindberg.

"A jet-black comedy of contagion, a subversive medical-horror freak-out, and a sly metacinematic prank, Lars von Trier’s sophomore feature—born from a bet that he couldn’t make a film for less than $150,000—finds the director channeling his singular thematic obsessions into an evocatively lo-fi, perversely self-reflexive provocation. The filmmaker himself stars as a harried screenwriter whose efforts to complete a script about the outbreak of a deadly disease coincide with a grisly real-life plague. A twisted reflection on Europe’s haunted past—from the Black Death to World War II—and its scarred present, Epidemic is von Trier at his most idiosyncratic and audaciously experimental." - from Criterion.com

"Shooting entirely on analog video, Lars von Trier directs the made-for-Danish-TV version of the ancient Greek tragedy Medea by Euripides. The screenplay is based on a 1960s adaptation written by master Danish filmmaker Carl Theodor Dreyer that was never produced during his lifetime." - from MUBI.com

"Lars von Trier became an international sensation with this galvanizing realist fable about sex and spiritual transcendence. In an Oscar-nominated performance, Emily Watson stuns as Bess, a simple, pious newlywed in a tiny Scottish village who gives herself up to a shocking form of martyrdom after her husband (Stellan Skarsgård) is paralyzed in an oil rig accident. Breaking the Waves, both brazen and tender, profane and pure, is an examination of the expansiveness of faith and of its limits." - from Criterion.com

"Karen (Bodil Jørgensen) is dining alone at a crowded restaurant when a group of people who seem to be mentally disabled enter and disrupt everyone's meal. Discerning that they are not what they seem, Karen returns with the group to the large communal house they inhabit with charismatic Stoffer (Jens Albinus). This group of intellectuals is attempting to challenge bourgeois ideology by behaving like 'idiots' in public. Karen, however, may take the act further than any of them had planned."

"Selma is a Czech immigrant, a single mother working in a factory in rural America. Her salvation is passion for music, specifically, the all-singing, all-dancing numbers found in classic Hollywood musicals. Selma harbors a sad secret: she is losing her eyesight and her son Gene stands to suffer the same fate if she can't put away enough money to secure him an operation. When a desperate neighbor falsely accuses Selma of stealing his savings, the drama of her life escalates to a tragic finale."

"A barren soundstage is stylishly utilized to create a minimalist small-town setting in which a mysterious woman named Grace (Nicole Kidman) hides from the criminals who pursue her. The town is two-faced and offers to harbor Grace as long as she can make it worth their effort, so Grace works hard under the employ of various townspeople to win their favor. Tensions flare, however, and Grace's status as a helpless outsider provokes vicious contempt and abuse from the citizens of Dogville."

"Lars von Trier now enters the world of documentary filmmaking alongside his idol, Danish filmmaker Jørgen Leth. In 1967, Leth made a 12-minute short film called 'The Perfect Human'. Now, 35 years later, Von Trier challenges Leth to remake his film five times, each time with a new obstruction to force Leth to rethink the story and characters of the original film. Playing the naive anthropologist, Leth rises to the challenge set forth by Von Trier in a game full of traps and vicious turns, and a very surprising outcome." "Lars von Trier has never been shy to burnish his reputation as the malevolent puppet master of his protagonists’ misfortune, but never quite so literally as in this playful documentary. One of the great films about filmmaking, The Five Obstructions is a reflexive marvel of cinematic problem solving." - from MUBI.com

"In 1933 a young woman, named Grace (Bryce Dallas Howard), and her father discover an Alabama plantation whose inhabitants live as if slavery had never been abolished. Feeling a sense of duty to the people behind the heavy gates, she stays to liberate the people and see them through their first harvest. With four of her father's colleagues and a lawyer, she faces the daunting task of resurrecting the place known as Manderlay."

"For years, company director Ravn (Peter Gantzler) leads his staff to believe that the head of the firm is an absentee director named Svend. Now Ravn wants to sell out to Finnur (Fridrik Thór Fridriksson), but Finnur will deal only with Svend. Ravn hires Kristoffer (Jens Albinus), an actor, to portray Svend so the deal can go through, but complications arise when Kristoffer must extend the performance."

"Lars von Trier shook up the film world when he premiered Antichrist at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival. In this graphic psychodrama, a grief-stricken man and woman—a searing Willem Dafoe and Cannes best actress winner Charlotte Gainsbourg—retreat to their cabin deep in the woods after the accidental death of their infant son, only to find terror and violence at the hands of nature and, ultimately, each other. But this most confrontational work yet from one of contemporary cinema’s most controversial artists is no mere provocation. It is a visually sublime, emotionally ravaging journey to the darkest corners of the possessed human mind; a disturbing battle of the sexes that pits rational psychology against age-old superstition; and a profoundly effective horror film." - from Criterion.com

"Kirsten Dunst won Best Actress at Cannes for this thunderous masterwork about the catatonic effects of depression. It was perhaps inevitable that Lars von Trier’s cinema of suffering would culminate in the total annihilation of humankind. Still, the end of the world has never looked more beautiful." - from MUBI.com

"Dina grows up in a village at a fjord in 1860s north Norway. As child, she accidentally kills her mom and loses her rich dad's love. She grows up to be a clever, pretty, wild, and strange woman. She marries a rich Frenchman."

"In nineteenth-century Denmark, two peasant brothers, Laust and Peter, are both in love with the same woman: Inge, the estate manager's daughter. When war with Prussia breaks out, the brothers' report for duty in the Danish army and are sent to the front along with thousands of their fellow soldiers. Their relationship with Inge helps Laust and Peter as they encounter the horrors of war, but eventually it creates a rift between them."

"'Italian for Beginners' follows the stories of six insecure singles whose lives interweave one dreary Copenhagen winter. Soon after arriving in a small grey suburb, Andreas (Anders W. Berthelsen), a young sensitive minister, is persuaded to sign up for Italian lessons. Upon his arrival, each of the lonely characters makes a major decision that will change the course of their life. They find love and a happy solution to their unhappy situations."

"In the early 1960s, 16-year-old Jenny Mellor lives with her parents in a London suburb. She is smart, pretty, and working toward her goal of being accepted into Oxford. Her life will take a big turn when she meets David, a man twice her age. Now she must decide if she will pursue an education at Oxford, or if she will choose to learn all that a charismatic older man can teach her."

"Sus, who works at a beauty clinic, tries to live a cool life with her Italian husband; all she needs is a new kitchen and everything will be perfect. But just when she becomes pregnant she discovers that her seductive husband is not hers alone. Meanwhile the kitchen is being installed by Niller, who has just become a dad, and against all reason falls head-over-heels for Sus." - from Danish Film Institute (dfi.dk)

"Cecilie (Sonja Richter) and Joachim (Nikolaj Lie Kaas) are engaged to be married, when tragedy strikes: Joachim is the victim of a car crash that robs him of the use of his legs. While at the hospital tending to Joachim, Cecilie meets Niels (Mads Mikkelsen), a doctor working there. As she leans on him for moral support, she discovers that his wife was responsible for Joachim's accident. The revelation doesn't stop their affair, which throws both their lives into upheaval."

"An emotionally charged story of two brothers who struggle to find their place within their family after one of them is sent to the war in Afghanistan. The responsible brother at war is missing in action and presumed dead. His less responsible brother gravitates toward his brother's presumed widow and cares for her. When the older brother returns from prison camp with post traumatic stress problems his role and his brother's shift."

"Jacob Petersen (Mads Mikkelsen) dedicates his life to helping street children in India, and when the orphanage he leads may be closed, he receives an interesting offer. A businessman will give him $4 million -- with conditions. Jacob must return to Denmark and take part in the wedding of the man's daughter; the event is a crucial meeting of past and future, throwing Jacob into the most-intense dilemma of his life."

"Audrey Burke is reeling from the shock of the news that has just been delivered to her door by the local police - her husband, Brian, had been killed in a random act of violence. Once anchored by the love and comforts of their marriage, Audrey is now adrift. Impulsively, she turns to Jerry, a down-and-out addict who has been her husband's close friend since childhood. Desperate to fill the painful void caused by her husband's death, Audrey invites Jerry to move into the room adjacent to their garage in the hope that he can help her and her children cope with their sudden loss. Now, in facing a daily battle to stay off drugs and his unexpected role as surrogate parent and friend to Audrey's son and daughter, he finds a core of inner resilience. As Jerry and Audrey navigate grief and denial, their fragile bonds are constantly tested. Together, they discover the strength to move forward."

"Anton (Mikael Persbrandt) is a doctor who travels frequently between his home in Denmark and a refugee camp in Africa. His domestic life is complicated by the fact that he and his wife, Marianne (Trine Dyrholm), are experiencing marital strife and his son, Elias (Markus Rygaard), is a victim of school bullying. When a new boy, whose mother recently died, moves to town and befriends Elias, it provides solace for both father and son. After a reckless act, however, things turn tragic."

"Detectives and best friends Andreas and Simon lead vastly different lives; Andreas has settled down with his beautiful wife and son; while Simon, recently divorced, spends most of his waking hours getting drunk at the local strip club. But all that changes when the two of them are called out to a domestic dispute involving a junkie couple caught in a vicious cycle of violence and drugs. It all looks very routine - until Andreas finds the couple's infant son, crying in a closet. The usually collected policeman finds himself confronted with his own powerlessness and is shaken to his core. As Andreas slowly loses his grip on justice, it's left to the unruly Simon to restore the balance between right and wrong." - from the publisher

"In 1929, just as the Depression has hit, George and Serena Pemberton, love-struck newlyweds, move from Boston to North Carolina to build a timber empire. Serena soon proves herself to be equal to any man: overseeing loggers, hunting rattlesnakes, even saving a man's life in the wilderness. With power and influence now in their hands, the Pembertons refuse to let anyone stand in the way of their inflated love and ambitions. However, once Serena discovers George's hidden past and faces an unchangeable fate of her own, the Pembertons' passionate marriage begins to unravel."

"Janus, twenty-three and fresh out of prison for drug dealing, and Jakob, seventeen and newly escaped from reform school, are brothers who attempt to make their way through the garish netherworld of drugs, violence, sleazy nightclubs, and even sleazier crashpads. Janus owes Lasse 80,000 and must pay the debt while also attempting to find a place to stay. However, as Janus and Eva become involved, Jakob is pushed out and has to take a job from Lasse in order to stand alone." - from Turner Classic Movies

"Rejseholdet (English: "Mobile Unit" [lit. "The Travel Team"]; international title: Unit One) is a Danish television crime drama series, broadcast on DR1, that ran for four series from 1 October 2000 to 1 January 2004. The series, produced by Danmarks Radio, revolves around an elite mobile police task force that travel around Denmark, assisting each local police force solve serious crimes. The series starred Charlotte Fich as DCI Ingrid Dahl, an ambitious detective who is promoted to the role of unit commander seemingly on the basis of being female. The series co-starred Mads Mikkelsen and Lars Brygmann as Sergeants Allan Fischer and Thomas La Cour. A total of thirty-two episodes aired across four series. Each episode is titled with a reference to an assistancemelding, which roughly translates into English as "Request for Assistance". Each case portrayed in the show was loosely based upon actual sensational crimes such as murders, kidnappings, cross-border sex trafficking and child pornography." - from Wikipedia

"Two brothers live in a shed in the countryside. Dennis is not the brightest of the two. He believes in Santa and his biggest wish for Christmas is a girlfriend. Finn is a totally unbearable acidhead. One night, life changes dramatically."

"Thirteen-year-old Frits has fallen out of favours with the school headmaster. When he steps over the line punishing Frits, the boy takes up battle against the authorities, inspired by his idol Martin Luther King." - TrustNordisk website

"Sara is a member of Jehovah's Witnesses. When she falls in love with Teis, Sara, herself a believer, now faces an important turning point in her life she has to make a choice between her love and her family that are worlds apart." - TrustNordisk website

"Wealthy Swedish recluse Henrik Vanger (Sven-Bertil Taube) needs closure. Forty years ago, his beloved niece disappeared, never to be seen again -- and circumstances have led him to believe that a member of his own repugnant family must be responsible. Vanger hires stoic journalist Mikael Blomkvist (Michael Nyqvist) and scrappy, chain-smoking hacker Lisbeth Salander (Noomi Rapace) to come to his island, dig deep into chilling family secrets and unmask the killer once and for all." Based on the novel by Stieg Larsson.

"Rising gangland player Victor (Colin Farrell) infiltrates the criminal empire run by Alphonse (Terrence Howard), but his aim is not to accumulate prestige and power. Instead, Victor's mission is to make Alphonse pay for destroying his once-happy life. Victor's machinations have not gone unnoticed; Beatrice (Noomi Rapace), his neighbor, watches and waits. When she uncovers Victor's secret, she threatens to expose him unless he helps her carry out her own campaign of revenge."

"In 1976, fourteen year old Martin prepares to become a man in an isolated and quirky town. His mother suddenly dies, triggering events that will alter his life and those of the local community."

"Minor Mishaps is the story of a family in which family relations are put to the test after the mother dies. It is a collective tale in which we follow the lives of the four leads -John, the father, who has a serious heart condition but risks his life by sticking to his job as a hospital porter; Tom, his son, who is in the process of losing his wife and children because his career as a building contractor overshadows everything else; Eva, the elder daughter, trying to make her way as an artist but "scared shitless" whenever she faces a blank canvas; and Marianne, the younger daughter, who gets a new job running the staff canteen at an accountancy partnership and despite her inexperienced, awkward behaviour initiates an affair with a colleague. All four try to find themselves and one another, and all four learn that families aren't something you choose, but something you just have ." - from europeanfilmawards.eu

"Anna begins as a rookie chaplain in a women's prison and meets an inmate who can perform miracles and cure drug addicts with a touch. She says Anna is pregnant and a test confirms it. But not all is well." - from IMDb.com

"In a Copenhagen suburb the 19-year-old Per is found unconscious after having been badly beaten up. He is taken to hospital in a coma. The police have no clues, but the air is thick with suspicion. His mother struggles to maintain her faith in his survival. His younger sister, Mie, begins to pick up rumors. Her boyfriend, Shadi, suspects that his elder brother is behind the assault but he cannot tell anyone. Many well-meaning people find themselves at sea in a fable about emotions leading us astray." - from IMDb.com

"After yet another mission abroad, young soldier Lotte returns home, completely disillusioned with life. Lotte's unreliable father offers her a job as a chauffeur for his Nigerian girlfriend, escort girl Lily."

"The Danish Dogme 95 movement that struck world cinema like a thunderbolt began with The Celebration, Thomas Vinterberg’s international breakthrough, a lacerating chamber drama that uses the economic and aesthetic freedoms of digital video to achieve annihilating emotional intensity. On a wealthy man’s sixtieth birthday, a sprawling group of family and friends convenes at his country estate for a celebration that soon spirals into bedlam, as bombshell revelations threaten to tear away the veneer of bourgeois respectability and expose the traumas roiling beneath. The dynamic handheld camera work, grainy natural lighting, cacophonous diegetic sound, and raw performance style that would become Dogme hallmarks enhance the shattering visceral impact of this caustic indictment of patriarchal failings, which swings between blackest comedy and bleakest tragedy as it turns the sick soul of a family inside out." - from Criterion.com

"Lucas (Mads Mikkelsen), a highly-regarded school teacher, has been forced to start over having overcome a tough divorce. Just as things are starting to go his way, his life is shattered. An untruthful remark throws the small community into a collective state of hysteria. The lie is spreading and Lucas is forced to fight a lonely fight for his life and dignity." - from Magnolia Pictures

"An explosion on a nuclear-powered Russian submarine kills most of the men aboard and causes the few survivors to huddle in waterlogged and oxygen deficient rear compartments, where they anxiously await rescue. It is a race against time with oxygen levels running low as the Russian government plans the best course of action, before finally accepting help from the British and Norwegian governments."

"There is a theory that man is born with half a per mille too little. That alcohol in the blood opens the mind to the outside world, problems seem smaller and creativity increases. We know it well; after the first glass of wine, the conversation lifts, the possibilities open up. Martin is a high school teacher. He feels old and tired. His students and their parents want him terminated to increase their average. Encouraged by the per mille theory, Martin and his three colleagues throw themselves into an experiment to maintain a constant alcohol impact in everyday life. If Churchill won World War II in a dense fog of spirits, what could the strong drops do for them and their students? The result is positive in the beginning. Martin's class is in a different way now, and the project is being promoted to a real academic study with the collection of results. Slowly, but surely, the alcohol makes the four friends and their surroundings loosen up. The results are rising, and they really begin to feel life. As the objects go inboard, the experiment progresses for some, and goes off track for others. It becomes clearer and clearer that alcohol can generate great results in world history, but that all daring can also have consequences. The film is described as a fun, touching and thought-provoking drama about friendship, freedom - and alcohol." - from StudioCanal

"As a heroin dealer in Copenhagen, Frank (Kim Bodnia) is far from the top but earns good money pushing with a friend (Mads Mikkelsen). When he decides to up the ante, Frank goes to Milo (Zlatko Buric), a drug lord -- except he doesn't have enough money for the heroin. Instead, Milo fronts him the goods upon the condition of immediate repayment. But when Frank goes to make the deal, and the police arrive, he has to ditch the drugs. Now Frank has to find a way to repay Milo if he wants to live."

"Driver is a Hollywood stunt driver by day, and moonlights as a top-notch getaway driver for hire in the criminal underworld. He finds himself a target for some of LA's most dangerous men after agreeing to aid the husband of his beautiful neighbor, Irene. When the job goes dangerously awry, the only way he can keep Irene and her son alive is to do what he does best, Drive!"

"Opening in the seductive style of the sixties, 'A Funny Man' uncovers the perennial loneliness that comedian Dirch Passer (Nikolaj Lie Kaas) has found himself in after a fast-tracked rise to fame. He struggles between his own desire to gain critical respect and servicing the audience's needs. Costing his kindred friendship to on-stage partner Kjeld Petersen (Lars Ranthe) Dirch takes on Steinbeck's classic 'Of Mice and Men', only for the audience to break out in laughter at his first line. Dirch's Lennie becomes a running joke, and so has, Dirch believes, his own life."

"As World War Two comes to an end, a group of German POWs, boys rather than men, are captured by the Danish army and forced to engage in a deadly task - to defuse and clear land mines from the Danish coastline. With little or no training, the boys soon discover that the war is far from over. Inspired by real events, LAND OF MINE exposes the untold story of one tragic moment in post-war history." - from Sony Pictures Classics

"A ROYAL AFFAIR is the true story of an ordinary man who wins the queen's heart and starts a revolution. Centering on the intriguing love triangle between the ever more insane Danish King Christian VII (Mikkel Boe Følsgaard), the royal physician who is a man of enlightenment and idealism Struensee (Mads Mikkelsen) and the young but strong Queen Caroline Mathilda (Alicia Vikander), A ROYAL AFFAIR is the gripping tale of brave idealists who risk everything in their pursuit of freedom for their people… Above all it is the story of a passionate and forbidden romance that changed an entire nation." - from Magnolia Pictures

"Detective Carl Morck has received a bottle that holds an old and decayed message written in blood. It's a cry for help from two young brothers, tied and bound in a boathouse by the sea. After floating in the ocean for years before turning up, the bottle sat forgotten, unopened, on a police department windowsill, before the seal was cracked and the gruesome message, written in Danish, was analyzed. Could it be real? Who are these boys, and why weren't they reported missing?" Based on the novel by Jussi Adler-Olsen.

"Grave robbing, torture, possessed nuns, and a satanic Sabbath: Benjamin Christensen’s legendary silent film uses a series of dramatic vignettes to explore the scientific hypothesis that the witches of the Middle Ages and early modern era suffered from the same ills as psychiatric patients diagnosed with hysteria in the film's own time. Far from a dry dissertation on the topic, the film itself is a witches’ brew of the scary, the gross, and the darkly humorous. Christensen’s mix-and-match approach to genre anticipates gothic horror, documentary re-creation, and the essay film, making for an experience unlike anything else in the history of cinema." - from Criterion.com

"After learning that her fiance is about to marry another woman in Greenland, a teacher (Astrid Villaume) begins a rocky relationship with a Danish trader (Poul Reichhardt)."

"Toward the end of the 19th century, destitute, selfless and lonely, Swedish writer Pontus (Per Oscarsson) is trying to piece together a living in a working-class neighborhood. His interactions with the local newspaper lead to frustration when an editor tinkers with an article he's written. What little money he can scrounge he donates to the city's homeless. Frustrated and hungry, Pontus tries to find various jobs that will, at the very least, buy him a meal and alleviate his isolation." Adapted from the novel by Knut Hamsun.

"Beautiful but pious sisters Martine (Birgitte Federspiel) and Philippa (Bodil Kjer) grow to spinsterhood under the wrathful eye of their strict pastor father on the forbidding and desolate coast of Jutland, until one day, Philippa's former suitor sends a Parisian refugee named Babette (Stéphane Audran) to serve as the family cook. Babette's lavish celebratory banquet tempts the family's dwindling congregation, who abjure such fleshly pleasures as fine foods and wines."

"The active Regitze and passive Karl Aage have a party with friends and family at their allotment garden. He reminisces his life with her from meeting her during WWII, having a son, the son graduating, etc. up to present day." - from IMDb.com

"Stranded in the heat of a barren African desert, eleven bus-passengers shelter in the remnants of an abandoned town. As rescue grows more remote by the day and anxiety deepens, an idea emerges: why not stage a play. However the choice of King Lear only manages to plunge this disparate group of travelers into turmoil as they struggle to overcome both nature's wrath and their own morality."

"Christoffer, who four years earlier abandoned the family steel business for an idyllic life as a restauranteur with the woman he loves, Maria, a rising actress. But when Christoffer's father commits suicide, Christoffer's domineering and manipulative mother compels him to return home to take control. Maria's worst fears for Christoffer are tragically realized as he must contend with a business on the brink of financial ruin and a brother-in-law scheming for control. Christoffer must make wrenching decisions that threaten to tear his family apart and destroy his soul."

"At first glance, Henrik, Nina and Stine seem to be a perfectly average family. Henrik is a swimming teacher and his wife Nina is a secretary. If this well-heeled middle-class couple have a problem at all then it's their 14-year-old daughter. Stine's going through a difficult phase, she seems to be distancing herself from her parents. Somebody Stine does communicate with, however, is the school therapist. One day she astounds him by accusing her father of having committed a heinous crime. The authorities lose no time in instructing Stine to leave her parent's house. Henrik is arrested and taken to a prison. He remains behind bars throughout the duration of his trial. In spite of the enormous psychological strain and the fact that their friends begin to turn their back on Henrik, Nina stands by her husband until he is finally acquitted. Months pass before the parents are able to see their daughter again and talk about what happened. It's high time for a reconciliation during which the dark side of this ostensibly normal family begins to emerge." - from Amazon.com

"Following a stint in jail, Adam (Ulrich Thomsen), a former neo-Nazi, is temporarily assigned to live in a religious enclave. The community is led by Ivan (Mads Mikkelsen), an eternally optimistic priest who immediately gets under the skin of the gruff Adam. In order to move forward with his rehabilitation, Adam must select a task, so he decides to bake an apple pie. However, his simple choice is complicated by Ivan's insistence that Adam use apples from a tree that is plagued by problems."

"Aicha, a high-school student, is a passionate kung fu fighter. Her Turkish parents expect her to get good grades so she can get into medical school, like her brother Ali. But school doesn't inspire her. Defying her family, Aicha starts secretly training at a professional, co-ed kung fu club. A boy, Emil, helps Aicha train for the club championship and they fall in love. But the rules of life are not as simple as the rules of kung fu, and Aicha is forced to decide who she is and what she wants."

"Inspector Sarah Lund thought she was going to work one last day in Copenhagen before moving to a remote Swedish town with her boyfriend and young son. She was wrong. When a teenage girl's body is found in a car with links to a mayoral candidate's office, Lund begins what becomes a 20-day investigation into the murder. Each episode of this crime drama covers one day of the investigation."

"Set to take up the mysteriously vacated job of town marshal, Robert quickly finds himself mixed up in a community governed by its own rules. Robert's big-city temperament makes it impossible for him to fit in, or to understand the uncivilized behavior displayed by the townspeople: the sultry blond femme fatale, the ten-gallon hat and bolo-wearing town bully, and the sinister doctor with a penchant for maniacal cackling."

"Copenhagen, 1944. The exploits of Flame and Citron, a duo of assassins with the Danish resistance movement are becoming legendary. They begin by dispatching Danish collaborators and graduate to the occupying Nazis, after which the SS puts bounties on their heads. Their ultimate goal: Gestapo commandant Karl Heinz Hoffmann. As loyal Danes with a hatred of the Nazi occupation, they kill Danes who are collaborating. Flame seems empowered by killing, growing ever more reckless with his tactics. Citron's dread increases almost hourly, as the running, hiding, and furtive meetings with his estranged wife gnaws at his soul. Who can they trust? Who is giving their orders? What if there has been insidious infiltration and their skills are being misused? For these good men, resistance isn't futile, but it does come with its own terrible cost."

"The Protectors (Danish: Livvagterne) is a Danish crime TV series from 2009 that follows the police bodyguard squad P.E.T. (Politiets Efterretningstjeneste), which is in charge of protecting VIPs, including Danish royalty and politicians. The series follows three recruits, Jasmina El-Murad (Cecilie Stenspil), Jonas Goldschmidt (André Babikian), and Rasmus Poulsen (Søren Vejby), who go swiftly from training camp to full-fledged police bodyguards. Jasmina is the only woman, and an Egyptian Muslim, on the team." - from Wikipedia

"Armadillo is a 2010 Danish documentary film about Danish soldiers in the War in Afghanistan directed by Janus Metz. The film follows a group of soldiers from the Guard Hussars Regiment who are on their first mission in Helmand Province at a forward operating base near Gereshk named FOB Armadillo. The film premièred at the Cannes Film Festival in 2010. It was awarded the Grand Prix de la Semaine de la Critique."

"In 1952, Danish government officials select 16 Greenlandic children to participate in an experiment. They are removed from their families and accommodated in a children’s home in Nuuk. Here, the headmistress is put in charge of turning them into good, Danish citizens in a long-term effort to bring Greenland out of its current state of destitution. This becomes an uphill battle." - from cineuropa.com

"Borgen (Danish pronunciation: [ˈpɒˀwn̩]) is a Danish political drama television series. [...] In Denmark, Borgen, lit. 'The Castle', is the informal name of Christiansborg Palace where all three branches of Danish government reside: the Parliament, the Prime Minister's Office, and the Supreme Court, and is often used as a stand in term for the Danish Parliament (Folketinget). The programme tells how, against all the odds, Birgitte Nyborg Christensen (Sidse Babett Knudsen)—a minor centrist politician—becomes the first female prime minister of Denmark. Other main characters are Birgitte Hjort Sørensen as Katrine Fønsmark, a TV1 news anchor; Pilou Asbæk as Kasper Juul, a spin doctor; Søren Malling as Torben Friis, news editor for TV1; Mikael Birkkjær as Birgitte's husband, Phillip; and Benedikte Hansen as Hanne Holm, a journalist." - from Wikipedia

"A young married couple has to deal with their emotional breakdowns after the death of their only daughter." - from IMDb.com

"Criminal commissioner Katrina Ries Jensen and legal psychiatrist Thomas Schaeffer are part of a unique police unit investigating a series of gruesome serial killings. In each case they face dangerous threats in the race to uncover the bizarre motives and patterns of the killer. Only once they have an understanding of the victims and of the killer's psychology can they hope to catch him. Based on an original idea by best-selling Danish crime novelist Elsebeth Egholm, Those Who Kill is a gripping crime thriller that will keep you guessing."

"The cargo ship MV Rozen is heading for harbour when it is hijacked by Somali pirates in the Indian Ocean. Amongst the men on board are the ship’s cook Mikkel (Pilou Asbæk) and the engineer Jan (Roland Møller), who along with the rest of the seamen are taken hostage in a cynical game of life and death. With the demand for a ransom of millions of dollars a psychological drama unfolds between the CEO of the shipping company (Søren Malling) and the Somali pirates." - from Magnolia Pictures

"The mother of a cancer sick child struggles to maintain a normal life for her family. Stine is 37 years old and the single mother of three girls. Her daughter Cecilie, age 11, has cancer and has had it since she was 3 years old. Cecilie has spent half her life at the hospital and Stine along with her. Stine is fighting an unfair battle in unbearable chaos. At the same time she insists on maintaining some sort of life for all three children. The film follows their family life, both at home and in the hospital over a period of two years." - from the Danish Film Institute website (dfi.dk)

"During Nazi Germany's occupation of Denmark, a small group of Jutlandic resistance fighters sets out to harass the controlling power. The group is led by innkeeper Marius Fiil and includes his family and friends, but the penalty for sabotage and resistance soon becomes deadly."

"Nitesh's father has made a decision. It will not only change the rest of his life, but also that of his children - forever. He wants to give up his Danish residence permit and move back to India, where he originally came from when he moved to Denmark." - from IMDb.com

"In Denmark, a longtime breeder of prized Danish Red dairy cattle battles his country's bureaucracy over his biodynamic method of farming, which incorporates spiritual, ethical and ecological philosophies."

"A Danish television series about four siblings struggling to cope with the unexpected death of their mother - an internationally renowned artist. The siblings grew up with a free and chaotic childhood which has impacted all of them in different ways. Just before her death, their mother left her estate to her daughter who was given up for adoption as a baby and has never known the truth of who her parents were. A simple division of estate is turned into a painstaking journey as secrets and lies are brought to the surface."

"Enjoying the nightlife of 1943 Copenhagen, jazz guitarist Arne Itkin (David Dencik) is seemingly immune to the hardships of war, as the Danish government opts for a compliant relationship with Nazi Germany. He is initially skeptical when his terrified wife Miriam (Danica Curcic) hears rumors of the round-up and deportation of Danish Jews. An overnight raid however, forces the couple to flee their home with five-year-old son Jakob (Anton Dalgard Guleryuz). Aided by a church pastor and underground resistance, they set out on a journey for the fishing village of Gilleleje, where refugees await passage to Sweden by boat. Amidst lurking danger from the Gestapo and their collaborators, the family puts its fate in the hands of strangers whose allegiance and motives are not always clear." - from Amazon.com

"Hawaii, Oslo is the story of a handful of desperate people whose paths cross on the hottest day of the year in Oslo. Frode and Milla have their first child, but learn he will not live long without an expensive operation they cannot afford. Bobbie-Pop is a faded singer who tries to commit suicide. Leon is an institutionalized mental patient, who hopes to keep a 10-year-old date on his birthday with his teenage sweetheart. Leon's brother, Trygve, gets a weekend leave from prison to be with Leon on his birthday, but plans on using the furlough to escape. Overseeing Leon and protecting him is his guardian angel Vidar, Leon's best buddy at the institution, who sees things no one else can see, and who may be able to save everyone--except himself."

"Jan, recently released from prison after serving time for the murder of a child, has always maintained his innocence and is ready to put the past behind him. A gifted organist, he takes a job at an Oslo church under his middle name, Thomas. His talent and gentle manner quickly earn him the respect of his superiors, as well as the love of the pastor, Anna, and her little boy, Jens. But his past catches up with him when Agnes, a local teacher, comes to the church on a school visit and recognizes the organist as Jan, the man who was convicted for the murder of her son"--ContainerThe Kolaborator: "Goran, a promising young soccer player, is forced to become a soldier as the war in Yugoslavia begins. He is quickly transformed from a talented athlete into an executioner. But soon Goran must make the decision of his life when he is ordered to kill someone from his past."

"The German war machine arrives in Oslo in April 1940, leaving Norway's king with a difficult choice that will change his country forever."

"On 22 July 2011, more than 500 youths at a political summer camp on the island of Utøya outside Oslo were targeted by an armed, right-wing extremist. In this first fictional movie about the attack, director Erik Poppe's breathless single-take re-enactment is told entirely from the perspective of a teenage girl Kaja and her friends. Minute by minute we watch them trying to escape the gunman as they fight for their survival."

"A retired farmer, Thorgeir (Gisli Halldorsson) moves to Reykjavik, Iceland, to live with his grown daughter and her branch of the clan. When those living arrangements don't work out, he winds up in a retirement home, where he reconnects with Stella (Sigridur Hagalin), an old friend from his childhood. Quickly growing tired of life at the home, Thorgeir, accompanied by Stella, takes off in a stolen jeep so that they can spend some time alone and visit their rural hometown."

"Hirata, a young Japanese executive is forced to give up his golf trip to Hawaii when his grandfather reminds him of his duty to his parents. Seven years earlier, Hirata's parents had been killed in an accident in Iceland, and Japanese tradition holds that their souls will not be at ease until the proper ceremonies have been performed. Chugging across the frozen landscape in an old Citroen, Hirata encounters a people and place as surreal as the land itself, where he makes peace with the dead, and more importantly, with himself."

"Distraught after a recent breakup with his girlfriend, aspiring painter Páll (Ingvar E. Sigurðsson) spirals into a deep depression. As his behavior grows increasingly erratic, Páll's parents, who can no longer tolerate his violent outbursts, institutionalize him. During his rehabilitation, Páll encounters a cast of eccentrics, including Óli (Baltasar Kormákur), a self-professed songwriter for the Beatles, and Viktor, a man who believes he's Adolf Hitler (Björn Jörundur Friðbjörnsson)."

"Unemployed and unmotivated Hlynur (Hilmir Snaer Gudnason) is still living with his mother, Berglind (Hanna Maria Karlsdottir), in a decidedly non-picturesque section of Reykjavik, Iceland, spending his days watching porn and wandering around the city. One drunken night Hlynur sleeps with Lola (Victoria Abril), his mother's vivacious, avowedly lesbian flamenco teacher. Soon afterwards, Berglind announces that she and Lola are lovers and that -- by the way -- Lola is pregnant."

"In this Icelandic drama, the family of Thordur (Gunnar Eyjolfsson), the wealthy owner of a fishery, reunites, but it's far from a happy gathering. When the patriarch's youngest son, Agust (Hilmir Snaer Gudnason), visits from Paris along with his French girlfriend, Françoise (Hélène de Fougerolles), their presence exacerbates tensions with various relatives, including eldest brother Haraldur (Sigurdur Skulason), who works at the fishery, and his disenchanted wife, Aslaug (Elva Osk Olafsdottir)."

"Investigating the murder of an old man, Police Detective Erlendur find clues linking it to the mysterious death of a child in 1974 but struggles to find the link. Meanwhile, Orn, a man distraught at the death of his young daughter, uses the national genetics database to find out why she died." Based on the novel by Arnaldur Indriðason.

"A young woman has just been admitted to the hospital where Cora, a young psychiatric doctor works. As the woman refuses to speak, her identity remains a mystery. Cora becomes fond of her patient and establishes a relationship which goes beyond the usual course of treatment."