Banijay Nordic’s banner Yellow Bird is set to produce “A Life’s Worth,” a drama series inspired by real events within the Bosnian conflict in the 1990s. The show is being produced by Arte France and Viaplay Content Distribution which will also handle global sales.
“A Life’s Worth” is set in the fall of 1993, amid the devastating turmoil unfurling in Bosnia. Swedish U.N. soldiers embark on a perilous mission to bring peace to a fractured land. The series follows the journey of a group of young soldiers and their commander as they struggle with the complexities of war.
The show is headlined by a strong cast including Edvin Ryding (“Young Royals”), Maxwell Cunningham (“Top Dog”), Erik Enge (“Tigers”), Johan Rheborg (“Solsidan”) and Toni Prince (“Drugdealer”). Additional cast members include Lazar Dragojevic, Ivana Roscic, Alena Dzebo and Alban Ukaj.
“A Life’s Worth” was co-written by Mona Masri (“Easy Money”) and Oliver Dixon,...
“A Life’s Worth” is set in the fall of 1993, amid the devastating turmoil unfurling in Bosnia. Swedish U.N. soldiers embark on a perilous mission to bring peace to a fractured land. The series follows the journey of a group of young soldiers and their commander as they struggle with the complexities of war.
The show is headlined by a strong cast including Edvin Ryding (“Young Royals”), Maxwell Cunningham (“Top Dog”), Erik Enge (“Tigers”), Johan Rheborg (“Solsidan”) and Toni Prince (“Drugdealer”). Additional cast members include Lazar Dragojevic, Ivana Roscic, Alena Dzebo and Alban Ukaj.
“A Life’s Worth” was co-written by Mona Masri (“Easy Money”) and Oliver Dixon,...
- 3/21/2024
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Julia Ragnarsson and Erik Enge (“Tiger”) are the two leading stars of “End of Summer,” a psychological thriller series based Anders de la Motte’s bestselling Swedish novel of the same name. The show has been ordered by Viaplay and is being produced by Harmonica Films with Sf Studios and Film i Skåne co-producing.
Björn Carlström (“The Hunters”) and Stefan Thunberg (“Hamilton”) are the head writers on the series which shot in Skåne in the southern part of Sweden and will premiere in the fall on Viaplay.
The cast also includes Simon J Berger (“Exit”), Torkel Petersson (“A Swedish Defence”), Per Ragnar (“Let the Right One In”), Linus James Nilsson, Anna Granath, Emelie Garbers, Henrik Norlén, Bahador Foladi, Vilhelm Blomgren and Lars Schilken.
The six-episode series opens on a summer evening in 1984 when a 5-year-old boy vanishes in rural southern Sweden. The police investigation fails to find the truth, leaving behind rumors,...
Björn Carlström (“The Hunters”) and Stefan Thunberg (“Hamilton”) are the head writers on the series which shot in Skåne in the southern part of Sweden and will premiere in the fall on Viaplay.
The cast also includes Simon J Berger (“Exit”), Torkel Petersson (“A Swedish Defence”), Per Ragnar (“Let the Right One In”), Linus James Nilsson, Anna Granath, Emelie Garbers, Henrik Norlén, Bahador Foladi, Vilhelm Blomgren and Lars Schilken.
The six-episode series opens on a summer evening in 1984 when a 5-year-old boy vanishes in rural southern Sweden. The police investigation fails to find the truth, leaving behind rumors,...
- 2/2/2023
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
To mark the release of Tigers on 5th September, we’ve been given 3 copies to give away on DVD.
Martin (Erik Enge) is one of the most promising football talents Sweden has ever seen. At sixteen, his lifelong dream comes true when he is bought by one of Italy’s most prestigious clubs. Yet that dream comes at a very high price in terms of sacrifice, dedication, pressure and – most of all – loneliness. After a life-threatening incident, Martin begins to question whether this is actually the life he yearned for. Tigers shines a light on the pressures and mental health issues faced by young people training at the highest level of football.
Please note: This competition is open to UK residents only
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The Small Print
Open to UK residents only The competition will close 12th September 2022 at 23.59 GMT The winner will be picked at random from entries...
Martin (Erik Enge) is one of the most promising football talents Sweden has ever seen. At sixteen, his lifelong dream comes true when he is bought by one of Italy’s most prestigious clubs. Yet that dream comes at a very high price in terms of sacrifice, dedication, pressure and – most of all – loneliness. After a life-threatening incident, Martin begins to question whether this is actually the life he yearned for. Tigers shines a light on the pressures and mental health issues faced by young people training at the highest level of football.
Please note: This competition is open to UK residents only
a Rafflecopter giveaway
The Small Print
Open to UK residents only The competition will close 12th September 2022 at 23.59 GMT The winner will be picked at random from entries...
- 9/2/2022
- by Competitions
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Fictionalised account of Martin Bengtsson, who quit after struggling with suicidal thoughts, can’t decide if the problem is with the footballing system or not
This oddly unsatisfying and misfiring sports drama was Sweden’s Oscar submission last year; it fictionalises the real-life case of teen Swedish footballing prodigy Martin Bengtsson who was on the verge of the big time when he signed for Inter Milan in 2003, but quit soon afterwards, suffering from depression and suicidal thoughts. He was put under the extraordinary pressure of being treated like a kid at the club’s youth academy, yet showered with the kind of money that buys sports cars while being subject to the needling suspicion that he could get dropped at any time.
Erik Enge plays Bengtsson, Alfred Enoch plays his friend Ryan and Frida Gustavsson plays his model girlfriend Vibeke; writer-director Ronnie Sandahl (who scripted Borg McEnroe in 2017) can’t...
This oddly unsatisfying and misfiring sports drama was Sweden’s Oscar submission last year; it fictionalises the real-life case of teen Swedish footballing prodigy Martin Bengtsson who was on the verge of the big time when he signed for Inter Milan in 2003, but quit soon afterwards, suffering from depression and suicidal thoughts. He was put under the extraordinary pressure of being treated like a kid at the club’s youth academy, yet showered with the kind of money that buys sports cars while being subject to the needling suspicion that he could get dropped at any time.
Erik Enge plays Bengtsson, Alfred Enoch plays his friend Ryan and Frida Gustavsson plays his model girlfriend Vibeke; writer-director Ronnie Sandahl (who scripted Borg McEnroe in 2017) can’t...
- 6/28/2022
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
Studio Soho has debuted a new trailer for the upcoming feature ‘Tigers.’
The film is a life and death rollercoaster ride through the modern-day football industry. With a unique perspective on the world of professional football training, Sandahl tells the true story of football prodigy Martin Bengtsson. A coming-of-age drama about a young man’s burning obsession in a world where everything, and everyone, has a price tag.
Martin is one of the most promising football talents Sweden has ever seen. At sixteen, his lifelong dream comes true when he is bought by one of Italy’s most prestigious clubs. Yet that dream comes at a very high price in terms of sacrifice, dedication, pressure and – most of all – loneliness. After a life-threatening incident, Martin begins to question whether this is actually the life he yearned for. Tigers shines a light on the pressures and mental health issues faced by...
The film is a life and death rollercoaster ride through the modern-day football industry. With a unique perspective on the world of professional football training, Sandahl tells the true story of football prodigy Martin Bengtsson. A coming-of-age drama about a young man’s burning obsession in a world where everything, and everyone, has a price tag.
Martin is one of the most promising football talents Sweden has ever seen. At sixteen, his lifelong dream comes true when he is bought by one of Italy’s most prestigious clubs. Yet that dream comes at a very high price in terms of sacrifice, dedication, pressure and – most of all – loneliness. After a life-threatening incident, Martin begins to question whether this is actually the life he yearned for. Tigers shines a light on the pressures and mental health issues faced by...
- 4/22/2022
- by Zehra Phelan
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
The 7th MipDrama ended on Sunday with German series “House of Promises” named as the winner of the Buyers’ Coup de Coeur Award. While the showcase received mixed reactions from the participants, gathered onsite in Cannes – with only Italy’s “Bangla” opting for a more humorous approach – the event marked a win for Finland’s Elisa Viihde, presenting “Evilside,” “Summer of Sorrow” and “The Invicibles” (with Viaplay also attached.)
It must be some kind of a record that three out of 10 series are from the same commissioning broadcaster,” said Sari Lempiäinen, executive producer at Elisa Viihde. “We are excited and proud, as all of them are unique and brilliant.”
Here’s a drill-down on the 10 shows profiled at this year’s MipDrama:
“All That Is Left” (Sweden)
Genre: Teen / Young Adult
Format: 8 x 20’-25′
Production Companies: Erik McAllister for Svt and Lia Cederström for Baluba
Main Broadcaster: Svt
Distribution Company:...
It must be some kind of a record that three out of 10 series are from the same commissioning broadcaster,” said Sari Lempiäinen, executive producer at Elisa Viihde. “We are excited and proud, as all of them are unique and brilliant.”
Here’s a drill-down on the 10 shows profiled at this year’s MipDrama:
“All That Is Left” (Sweden)
Genre: Teen / Young Adult
Format: 8 x 20’-25′
Production Companies: Erik McAllister for Svt and Lia Cederström for Baluba
Main Broadcaster: Svt
Distribution Company:...
- 4/6/2022
- by Marta Balaga
- Variety Film + TV
“Black Crab” is a new Swedish produced, science fiction action feature, directed by Adam Berg starring Noomi Rapace, Aliette Opheim, and Dar Salim, now streaming on Netflix:
“…in a post-apocalyptic world, six soldiers on a covert mission must transport a mysterious package across a frozen archipelago…”
Cast also includes Jakob Oftebro , Ardalan Esmaili, Martin Hendrikse, Erik Enge, Cecilia Säverman, Ahmed Shawky, Shaheen Ilir Latifi and Mikail Akalin.
Click the images to enlarge…...
“…in a post-apocalyptic world, six soldiers on a covert mission must transport a mysterious package across a frozen archipelago…”
Cast also includes Jakob Oftebro , Ardalan Esmaili, Martin Hendrikse, Erik Enge, Cecilia Säverman, Ahmed Shawky, Shaheen Ilir Latifi and Mikail Akalin.
Click the images to enlarge…...
- 3/19/2022
- by Unknown
- SneakPeek
Black Crab Trailer — Adam Berg‘s Black Crab / Svart krabba (2022) movie trailer has been released by Netflix. The Black Crab trailer stars Noomi Rapace, Jakob Oftebro, Erik Enge, Dar Salim, Ardalan Esmaili, Aliette Opheim, and David Dencik. Crew Adam Berg and Pelle Rådström wrote the screenplay for Black Crab. Kristofer Nordin conducted the [...]
Continue reading: Black Crab (2022) Movie Trailer: Soldier Noomi Rapace is on a Covert Mission in a Post-apocalyptic Warzone...
Continue reading: Black Crab (2022) Movie Trailer: Soldier Noomi Rapace is on a Covert Mission in a Post-apocalyptic Warzone...
- 2/24/2022
- by Rollo Tomasi
- Film-Book
Netflix is behind a bunch of various genre-focused films and that trend continues with “Black Crab.” The post-thriller will focus on a woman looking to end an apocalyptic war and save her daughter, a reluctant soldier embarks on a desperate mission to cross a frozen sea carrying a top-secret cargo.
The streaming giant has released a new trailer of the film directed by Adam Berg with a cast that consists of Noomi Rapace, Jakob Oftebro, Erik Enge, Dar Salim, Ardalan Esmaili, Aliette Opheim, and David Dencik.
Continue reading ‘Black Crab’ Trailer: Noomi Rapace Stars In An Post-Apocalyptic Action Thriller at The Playlist.
The streaming giant has released a new trailer of the film directed by Adam Berg with a cast that consists of Noomi Rapace, Jakob Oftebro, Erik Enge, Dar Salim, Ardalan Esmaili, Aliette Opheim, and David Dencik.
Continue reading ‘Black Crab’ Trailer: Noomi Rapace Stars In An Post-Apocalyptic Action Thriller at The Playlist.
- 2/22/2022
- by Christopher Marc
- The Playlist
"This isn't the end of the war... it's the end of everything." Netflix has launched the first official trailer for an action thriller titled Black Crab, made by Swedish filmmaker Adam Berg delivering his first feature film. Set in a post-apocalyptic world, six soldiers on a covert mission must transport a mysterious package across a frozen archipelago. The concept combines post-apocalyptic survival in freezing cold conditions with a war movie thriller involving transporting a package that might or might not save the world end the war. "But for speed skater turned soldier Caroline Edh, the mission is about something else entirely" as she wants to find and rescue her daughter. Noomi Rapace stars as Caroline, with Jakob Oftebro, Erik Enge, Dar Salim, Ardalan Esmaili, Aliette Opheim, and David Dencik. This actually looks pretty dang good, and it has a very dark Children of Men vibe. Ice skating as part of...
- 2/22/2022
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
“Too much too soon” is a scenario that plays out in many life arenas, and it certainly does for the teenage protagonist swept into the professional sports world of “Tigers.” . It’s a compelling tale, well cast and directed with vivid intensity by Ronnie Sandahl. Still, the somewhat frustratingly limited insight we get into our hero’s addled head may affect export prospects for a film that is more about psychology than athletics.
At age 16 in 2003, Bengtsson (played here by Erik Enge) was considered such a football prodigy that he got sold by a Swedish club to Serie A behemoth Inter Milan. It was the realization of his lifelong dream, but that doesn’t mean he was prepared for the reality, particularly off-field.
Speaking no Italian at first, able to communicate only with those teammates who speak English, he’s thrown into a dormitory-style living situation where virtually everyone is older and jaded.
At age 16 in 2003, Bengtsson (played here by Erik Enge) was considered such a football prodigy that he got sold by a Swedish club to Serie A behemoth Inter Milan. It was the realization of his lifelong dream, but that doesn’t mean he was prepared for the reality, particularly off-field.
Speaking no Italian at first, able to communicate only with those teammates who speak English, he’s thrown into a dormitory-style living situation where virtually everyone is older and jaded.
- 12/21/2021
- by Dennis Harvey
- Variety Film + TV
Martin Bengtsson was just 15 years old when he was first signed by a professional football club, Sweden’s Örebro Sk. Two years later he was snapped up by Inter Milan. It seemed like a dream come true, but as Bengtsson went on to reveal in his autobiography, it was anything but. This film by fellow Swede Ronnie Sandahl dramatises his story, with a powerful central performance by Erik Enge as the brilliantly talented young man who is hopelessly out of his depth.
Sweden’s official submission to the 2022 Oscars, Tigers – a title which will make complete sense when you watch it – picks up when Martin is first invited to join the Italian club. There’s a medical, naturally, but the dehumanising nature of it as presented here is the first clue that this might not be a conventional sports film. Martin is paraded around half-naked in front of much older.
Sweden’s official submission to the 2022 Oscars, Tigers – a title which will make complete sense when you watch it – picks up when Martin is first invited to join the Italian club. There’s a medical, naturally, but the dehumanising nature of it as presented here is the first clue that this might not be a conventional sports film. Martin is paraded around half-naked in front of much older.
- 12/20/2021
- by Jennie Kermode
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
Starring newcomer Erik Enge, Black Spark Film’s Tigers tells the extraordinary true story of Swedish soccer star Martin Bengtsson, who made his international debut at just 17 years old. In stark contrast to many other sporting movies, which tend to focus on stories of triumph over adversity, Ronnie Sandahl’s movie from Black Spark Film examines the true cost of success in the world of professional football and the pressures that almost cost Bengtsson his life.
Accompanied by cast members Alfred Enoch, who plays Bengtsson’s American teammate Ryan, and Frida Gustavsson, who plays his model girlfriend Vibeke, Sandahl said during Deadline’s Contenders Film: International event that Sweden’s Oscar entry this year had been a long time in the planning.
“It’s been with me for a number of years,” he said. “I met Martin Bengtsson when we were both in our early 20s, coming out with our books.
Accompanied by cast members Alfred Enoch, who plays Bengtsson’s American teammate Ryan, and Frida Gustavsson, who plays his model girlfriend Vibeke, Sandahl said during Deadline’s Contenders Film: International event that Sweden’s Oscar entry this year had been a long time in the planning.
“It’s been with me for a number of years,” he said. “I met Martin Bengtsson when we were both in our early 20s, coming out with our books.
- 11/20/2021
- by Damon Wise
- Deadline Film + TV
Sweden is sending Ronnie Sandahl’s Tigers to this year’s International Oscar race.
The film is a coming-of-age drama about the world of professional sports, telling the true story of 16-year-old football prodigy Martin Bengtsson (played by Erik Enge).
It was written and directed by Ronnie Sandahl, based on Martin Bengtsson’s autobiographical novel In the Shadow of San Siro. The project was produced by produced by Piodor Gustafsson in co-production with Lucia Nicolai, Marcello Paolillo and Birgitte Skov.
Tigers was voted Best film in the Flash Forward section at Busan International Film Festival last year. It also picked up awards for Best Emerging International Actor (Erik Enge) and Best Emerging Italian Actor (Antonio Bannò) at Alice nella città, the independent and parallel section dedicated to films for children and youth at the Rome International Film Festival.
“I could not be more happy, proud or grateful. This is a great honour.
The film is a coming-of-age drama about the world of professional sports, telling the true story of 16-year-old football prodigy Martin Bengtsson (played by Erik Enge).
It was written and directed by Ronnie Sandahl, based on Martin Bengtsson’s autobiographical novel In the Shadow of San Siro. The project was produced by produced by Piodor Gustafsson in co-production with Lucia Nicolai, Marcello Paolillo and Birgitte Skov.
Tigers was voted Best film in the Flash Forward section at Busan International Film Festival last year. It also picked up awards for Best Emerging International Actor (Erik Enge) and Best Emerging Italian Actor (Antonio Bannò) at Alice nella città, the independent and parallel section dedicated to films for children and youth at the Rome International Film Festival.
“I could not be more happy, proud or grateful. This is a great honour.
- 10/21/2021
- by Tom Grater
- Deadline Film + TV
Two internationally-acclaimed documentaries from the Nordic region – “Flee” and “Gunda” – are among the five films nominated for a Nordic Council Film Prize.
This is the most prestigious film award in the Nordic region, celebrating films with unique artistic visions that actively engage with Nordic culture. It’s the eighteenth year the Nordic Council Film Prize is awarded, and the winner will be announced on Nov. 2 in Copenhagen, taking home a prize of Dkk 300,000 to be shared equally among the screenwriter, director, and producer. Here are the five film nominations:
“Flee,” (Jonas Poher Rasmussen, Denmark)
Co-written by Amin (a pseudonym), and produced by leading Danish company Final Cut for Reel (nominated for an Oscar for both “The Act of Killing” and “The Look of Silence”), the film has already had a hugely successful festival circuit run. At Sundance, it won the Grand Jury Prize in the World Cinema Documentary section, while...
This is the most prestigious film award in the Nordic region, celebrating films with unique artistic visions that actively engage with Nordic culture. It’s the eighteenth year the Nordic Council Film Prize is awarded, and the winner will be announced on Nov. 2 in Copenhagen, taking home a prize of Dkk 300,000 to be shared equally among the screenwriter, director, and producer. Here are the five film nominations:
“Flee,” (Jonas Poher Rasmussen, Denmark)
Co-written by Amin (a pseudonym), and produced by leading Danish company Final Cut for Reel (nominated for an Oscar for both “The Act of Killing” and “The Look of Silence”), the film has already had a hugely successful festival circuit run. At Sundance, it won the Grand Jury Prize in the World Cinema Documentary section, while...
- 8/24/2021
- by Alexander Durie
- Variety Film + TV
Rotterdam Winners
This year’s virtual International Film Festival Rotterdam has crowned the winners from its film program. Southern India-set Pebbles by Vinothraj P.S won the Tiger Award, while I Comete – A Corsican Summer by French filmmaker Pascal Tagnati and Looking for Venera by Norika Sefa from Kosovo both won Special Jury Awards. The Vpro Big Screen Award went to El perro que no calla by Ana Katz from Argentina and Quo Vadis, Aida? by Bosnian filmmaker Jasmila Žbanić won the BankGiro Loterij Audience Award. The festival named its industry winners last week. “In these most challenging of times, we are incredibly proud to have brought an outstanding selection of titles in our reimagined festival format,” said festival director Vanja Kaludjercic.
Goteborg Fest Awards
Tigers, directed by Ronnie Sandahl, won the 2021 Dragon Award Best Nordic Film as this year’s Goteborg Film Festival came to a close over the weekend.
This year’s virtual International Film Festival Rotterdam has crowned the winners from its film program. Southern India-set Pebbles by Vinothraj P.S won the Tiger Award, while I Comete – A Corsican Summer by French filmmaker Pascal Tagnati and Looking for Venera by Norika Sefa from Kosovo both won Special Jury Awards. The Vpro Big Screen Award went to El perro que no calla by Ana Katz from Argentina and Quo Vadis, Aida? by Bosnian filmmaker Jasmila Žbanić won the BankGiro Loterij Audience Award. The festival named its industry winners last week. “In these most challenging of times, we are incredibly proud to have brought an outstanding selection of titles in our reimagined festival format,” said festival director Vanja Kaludjercic.
Goteborg Fest Awards
Tigers, directed by Ronnie Sandahl, won the 2021 Dragon Award Best Nordic Film as this year’s Goteborg Film Festival came to a close over the weekend.
- 2/8/2021
- by Tom Grater
- Deadline Film + TV
Ronnie Sandahl’s movie has won the Dragon Award for Best Nordic Film, with its main actor Erik Enge also recognised, while Another Round inspired the audience. Just one day before the official closure of the 44th Göteborg Film Festival, the awards were announced on 8 February, with Tigers by Ronnie Sandahl emerging as the winner of this year’s Dragon Award for Best Nordic Film as well as a prize of Sek 400,000, provided by Region Västra Götaland and the City Council of Gothenburg. “[Tigers] gives a rare glimpse into a world that many wish to enter, but only a few will be admitted to. We chose to award the film that made us feel and root for the main character in every situation, whether chasing their dream or giving it up in order to survive and become happy,” was the Nordic Competition jury’s statement. This year, the jury consisted.
Sundance documentary winner Flee earns Dragon Award for Best Nordic Documentary.
Swedish director Ronnie Sandahl’s Tigers won the $48,000 Dragon Award for Best Nordic Film at the Goteborg Film Festival.
The drama received its world premiere in Busan and tells of a Swedish teenager signed to a big Italian football club whose dreams turn into a nightmare.
Wild Bunch handles sales on the Sweden-Italy-Denmark co-production.
The jury, comprised of Swedish producer Anna-Maria Kantarius, New Zealand-Denmark director Daniel Josef Borgman, and Finnish producer Max Malka, said Tigers “gives a rare glimpse into a world many wish to enter, but only a few will be admitted.
Swedish director Ronnie Sandahl’s Tigers won the $48,000 Dragon Award for Best Nordic Film at the Goteborg Film Festival.
The drama received its world premiere in Busan and tells of a Swedish teenager signed to a big Italian football club whose dreams turn into a nightmare.
Wild Bunch handles sales on the Sweden-Italy-Denmark co-production.
The jury, comprised of Swedish producer Anna-Maria Kantarius, New Zealand-Denmark director Daniel Josef Borgman, and Finnish producer Max Malka, said Tigers “gives a rare glimpse into a world many wish to enter, but only a few will be admitted.
- 2/7/2021
- by Wendy Mitchell
- ScreenDaily
Swedish sports drama Tigers, the story of teenage soccer star Martin Bengtsson, was named the Dragon Award winner for Best Nordic Film at the 2021 Göteborg Film Festival, Scandinavia’s top film event. The festival was held virtually this year because of the pandemic.
The Tigers film was based on Bengtsson’s autobiography, wherein he wrote of his experiences with top Italian football squad Inter Milan. The screenplay was by Ronnie Sandahl, best known for Janus Metz’s 2017 tennis biopic, Borg vs McEnroe.
The Dragon Award comes with a $478,000 cash prize. Erik Enge, who plays Bengtsson in the film, was named Göteborg’s Best Actor honor.
“Many of the films of this year’s Nordic competition had characters wanting to be the best versions of themselves while struggling with the pressures of success,” said a statement from the Göteborg jury. “The winning film gives a rare glimpse into a world many wish to enter,...
The Tigers film was based on Bengtsson’s autobiography, wherein he wrote of his experiences with top Italian football squad Inter Milan. The screenplay was by Ronnie Sandahl, best known for Janus Metz’s 2017 tennis biopic, Borg vs McEnroe.
The Dragon Award comes with a $478,000 cash prize. Erik Enge, who plays Bengtsson in the film, was named Göteborg’s Best Actor honor.
“Many of the films of this year’s Nordic competition had characters wanting to be the best versions of themselves while struggling with the pressures of success,” said a statement from the Göteborg jury. “The winning film gives a rare glimpse into a world many wish to enter,...
- 2/7/2021
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
Swedish helmer-writer Ronnie Sandahl’s “Tigers” – a rare glimpse inside the world of professional soccer following a protagonist who struggles with the pressures of success – came away the biggest winner at Sweden’s 43rd Göteborg Film Festival, scoring the best Nordic film kudo, this year worth approximately $48,000.
The film’s lead actor, Erik Enge, also nabbed the fest’s award for best actor for his subtle, nuanced performance as a 17-year-old professional player hired by the Italian club Inter Milan.
The Golden Globe-nominated Danish film “Another Round,” from director Thomas Vinterberg, claimed the audience choice award for a film in the Nordic competition. Meanwhile, the critics’ jury opted for director-writer Ninja Thyberg’s feature debut, “Pleasure,” a bold and daring documentary-like descent into the subterranean world of the L.A. porn industry, with a tour de force performance from newcomer Sofia Kappel.
Swedish-born, Denmark-based Dp Linda Wassberg claimed the Sven...
The film’s lead actor, Erik Enge, also nabbed the fest’s award for best actor for his subtle, nuanced performance as a 17-year-old professional player hired by the Italian club Inter Milan.
The Golden Globe-nominated Danish film “Another Round,” from director Thomas Vinterberg, claimed the audience choice award for a film in the Nordic competition. Meanwhile, the critics’ jury opted for director-writer Ninja Thyberg’s feature debut, “Pleasure,” a bold and daring documentary-like descent into the subterranean world of the L.A. porn industry, with a tour de force performance from newcomer Sofia Kappel.
Swedish-born, Denmark-based Dp Linda Wassberg claimed the Sven...
- 2/7/2021
- by Alissa Simon
- Variety Film + TV
Tigers, a Swedish sports drama based on the true story of teenage soccer talent Martin Bengtsson, has won the top prize, the Dragon Award, for Best Nordic Film at the 2021 Göteborg Film Festival, Scandinavia’s top cinema event.
Ronnie Sandahl —the screenwriter on Janus Metz’s 2017 tennis biopic Borg vs McEnroe—won over the Göteborg jury with his adaptation of Bengtsson’s autobiography, in which he details his experiences as a young player drafted by top Italian team Inter Milan. The prize comes with a $478,000 (Sek 400,000) cash bursary. Erik Enge, who plays Bengtsson in Tigers, took Göteborg’s Best ...
Ronnie Sandahl —the screenwriter on Janus Metz’s 2017 tennis biopic Borg vs McEnroe—won over the Göteborg jury with his adaptation of Bengtsson’s autobiography, in which he details his experiences as a young player drafted by top Italian team Inter Milan. The prize comes with a $478,000 (Sek 400,000) cash bursary. Erik Enge, who plays Bengtsson in Tigers, took Göteborg’s Best ...
Tigers, a Swedish sports drama based on the true story of teenage soccer talent Martin Bengtsson, has won the top prize, the Dragon Award, for Best Nordic Film at the 2021 Göteborg Film Festival, Scandinavia’s top cinema event.
Ronnie Sandahl —the screenwriter on Janus Metz’s 2017 tennis biopic Borg vs McEnroe—won over the Göteborg jury with his adaptation of Bengtsson’s autobiography, in which he details his experiences as a young player drafted by top Italian team Inter Milan. The prize comes with a $478,000 (Sek 400,000) cash bursary. Erik Enge, who plays Bengtsson in Tigers, took Göteborg’s Best ...
Ronnie Sandahl —the screenwriter on Janus Metz’s 2017 tennis biopic Borg vs McEnroe—won over the Göteborg jury with his adaptation of Bengtsson’s autobiography, in which he details his experiences as a young player drafted by top Italian team Inter Milan. The prize comes with a $478,000 (Sek 400,000) cash bursary. Erik Enge, who plays Bengtsson in Tigers, took Göteborg’s Best ...
The Disciple, Finland's Submission for the Academy Award Nomination for Best Foreign Language Film. U.S. : None Yet. Producer: Långfilm Productions Finland Oy
With The Disciple , her third narrative feature, Finnish director Ulrika Bengts returns to tell another coming-of-age story set in a remote island, but this time with darker undertones. Intriguing and strikingly beautiful the film follows Karl, an orphan who wants to learn the ropes and help in the island's lighthouse. However, the man in charge, Hasselbon, is not fond of the idea. His extreme standards make his own son Gustaf's life miserable, as he doesn't think he has what it takes to become the captain of a ship. Although simple in its conception, the great performances and the atmosphere created by the outstanding soundtrack make for a suspenseful experience. Bengts talked to us about how difficult it was to shoot on the island, her own take on working with actors, and the process to create the film's score.
Read the Review for The Disciple Here
Carlos Aguilar: The music is extremely expressive and evocative in this film; can you talk about the process of finding or composing this music?
Ulrika Bengts: The composer is my husband, Peter Hägerstrand, so we have been working together for about twenty years making other movies together. But this time it was a real challenge because I told him I didn’t want to have any melodies in the music, I wanted it to be disharmonic. Peter made music that didn’t sound melodious at all but it didn’t fit the picture, it was totally wrong. I was obsessed with this idea that it should be industrial in a way. But then one day when we met he said “Ok, in the end I recorded something else that is not for this movie” and then I listened to it and it was going to be the friendship theme between the two guys, and then I went ”Yes, here it is, it should be really a really melodious score based on piano, violin, cello.” So that’s how we made it. And of course the piano scene when Dorrit, the mother plays, was part of the story, and we composed that piece before we started shooting.
Aguilar: How did you work with cast in order to achieve such emotional, yet subdued performances?
Bengts: I was so lucky that we had a week of rehearsals together, just me and the actors. Because the actors didn’t know each other before, they were completely new to each other. We talked a lot about the characters, about their back story, their background, what happened to them before the film starts, and what we thought happens after the film ends. I handled it by talking a lot.
Aguilar: Specifically talking about the young cast, how did you handle the violent sequences with them?
Bengts: I’ve mad a lot of films with young actors and with children, so it is not unfamiliar to me. I think I handle young actors exactly the same way I handle grown up actors, by asking the same questions. Because when we are on the set, they are not children or teenagers, they are actors, and they are working. Basically, when we had that week of rehearsal I wanted to give them some terminology, like the words we use when we are filming.Erik Lönngren, he plays Karl, I had worked with him before on my first feature Iris, which was two years before The Disciple, and he is a very skilled amateur actor. He has been in a lot of amateur stage plays. But Patrik Kumpulainen, the guy playing Gustaf, this was his very first experience, not only in film but also as an actor, he had never acted before. When we were rehearsing he really made me nervous because he used to ask me “Ulrika, what kid of face to you want me to put on in this scene” and I said “Patrick my dear boy, acting is not about putting on faces, you have to understand your character and feel his feelings” and he understood it. It was really cheerful to see the way he developed during this five weeks that we were shooting on the island.
Aguilar: The film seems to be about fathers and sons and about achieving certain expectations. Hasselbond, the patriarch, wants to be in control. Would you agree these are the messages the film tries to convey?
Bengts: I think The Disciple is mainly about control. The father is trying to control everyone, both the living and the dead on the island, he trusts no one, and he is prepared to be betrayed at every moment. I was interested in exploring what happens to people that have to live under such circumstances, where someone else is setting the rules and you have to obey in every situation. To me Karl is the main character because he wants to stay in the island due to his own background of course. For him this is a new opportunity in life and he really wants to be good in Hasselbond’s eyes, even though he understands he is not a good person and that the rules in this island are not sane. This is a very sick kind of micro-society, but he still tries to obey the rules and he goes through moral choices in almost every scene.
Aguilar: Do you think the story worked better by not showing Elof’s story, Gustaf’s older brother who died mysteriously?
Bengts: Yes, I wanted to make it so that the audience could make up their own pictures of how Elof’s life was and what happened t him.
Aguilar: Do you see Hasselbond , the father, as the villain or a product of his isolated environment?
Bengts : Of course I think he is evil because no one has the right to behave the way he behaves, but It think Niklas Groundstroem who played Hasselbond, has some kind of sensitivity and honorability that makes you feel that he is a poor wounded person. I didn’t want to show what happened to him, or why he has become the way he is. Personally, I think that because he has bonded so much with Karl, he had the same experiences as Karl had.
Aguilar: Could you talk about your experience shooting on location on this isolated island?
Bengts: It was quite hard for all of us. We stayed at the lighthouse island, which is really in the middle of the sea, for five week. It was hard work, as I told you there are only this lighthouse and the house on this island so there were no places to stay for the crew. We had a small crew, about 30 people. Most of us stayed at the sailing ship you see in the movie, the ship of Gustaf’s dream, but everyone couldn’t fit it, so part of the crew stayed on set. The photographer, and his crew, they lived in tents for five weeks. It was really kind of a special shooting; I have never been through something like that before, and probably won’t again either. Of course since we were in an isolated island there were only snakes and sea birds, and you have only one location that is marvelous, so the story comes even closer to you. It allowed us to get deep into the emotions. We could focus on the story and the development of the characters. We worked in a quite simple way because we had no time to do a storyboard, so when we were shooting a scene, I rehearsed with the actors and we decided how they should move, the photographer was also present, and we discussed together what we were shooting in that scene. It was kind of an unusual way of working but the actors had a lot of freedom. I think you can see that this helped them.
Aguilar: Your film is representing Finland at the Academy Awards this year, is there any pressure on you because of this?
Bengts: To me is only joy. I’m very proud of our movie, and I’m proud that Finland made the decision that this movie should represent the country. I’m hopeful. I don’t feel the pressure at all, if we are shortlisted or get a nomination, is just a bonus. Representing Finland has helped the movie a lot already. When it was official we got quite a lot of invitations from international film festivals. After it was announced that it was the selection, the number of invitations rose 400%.
With The Disciple , her third narrative feature, Finnish director Ulrika Bengts returns to tell another coming-of-age story set in a remote island, but this time with darker undertones. Intriguing and strikingly beautiful the film follows Karl, an orphan who wants to learn the ropes and help in the island's lighthouse. However, the man in charge, Hasselbon, is not fond of the idea. His extreme standards make his own son Gustaf's life miserable, as he doesn't think he has what it takes to become the captain of a ship. Although simple in its conception, the great performances and the atmosphere created by the outstanding soundtrack make for a suspenseful experience. Bengts talked to us about how difficult it was to shoot on the island, her own take on working with actors, and the process to create the film's score.
Read the Review for The Disciple Here
Carlos Aguilar: The music is extremely expressive and evocative in this film; can you talk about the process of finding or composing this music?
Ulrika Bengts: The composer is my husband, Peter Hägerstrand, so we have been working together for about twenty years making other movies together. But this time it was a real challenge because I told him I didn’t want to have any melodies in the music, I wanted it to be disharmonic. Peter made music that didn’t sound melodious at all but it didn’t fit the picture, it was totally wrong. I was obsessed with this idea that it should be industrial in a way. But then one day when we met he said “Ok, in the end I recorded something else that is not for this movie” and then I listened to it and it was going to be the friendship theme between the two guys, and then I went ”Yes, here it is, it should be really a really melodious score based on piano, violin, cello.” So that’s how we made it. And of course the piano scene when Dorrit, the mother plays, was part of the story, and we composed that piece before we started shooting.
Aguilar: How did you work with cast in order to achieve such emotional, yet subdued performances?
Bengts: I was so lucky that we had a week of rehearsals together, just me and the actors. Because the actors didn’t know each other before, they were completely new to each other. We talked a lot about the characters, about their back story, their background, what happened to them before the film starts, and what we thought happens after the film ends. I handled it by talking a lot.
Aguilar: Specifically talking about the young cast, how did you handle the violent sequences with them?
Bengts: I’ve mad a lot of films with young actors and with children, so it is not unfamiliar to me. I think I handle young actors exactly the same way I handle grown up actors, by asking the same questions. Because when we are on the set, they are not children or teenagers, they are actors, and they are working. Basically, when we had that week of rehearsal I wanted to give them some terminology, like the words we use when we are filming.Erik Lönngren, he plays Karl, I had worked with him before on my first feature Iris, which was two years before The Disciple, and he is a very skilled amateur actor. He has been in a lot of amateur stage plays. But Patrik Kumpulainen, the guy playing Gustaf, this was his very first experience, not only in film but also as an actor, he had never acted before. When we were rehearsing he really made me nervous because he used to ask me “Ulrika, what kid of face to you want me to put on in this scene” and I said “Patrick my dear boy, acting is not about putting on faces, you have to understand your character and feel his feelings” and he understood it. It was really cheerful to see the way he developed during this five weeks that we were shooting on the island.
Aguilar: The film seems to be about fathers and sons and about achieving certain expectations. Hasselbond, the patriarch, wants to be in control. Would you agree these are the messages the film tries to convey?
Bengts: I think The Disciple is mainly about control. The father is trying to control everyone, both the living and the dead on the island, he trusts no one, and he is prepared to be betrayed at every moment. I was interested in exploring what happens to people that have to live under such circumstances, where someone else is setting the rules and you have to obey in every situation. To me Karl is the main character because he wants to stay in the island due to his own background of course. For him this is a new opportunity in life and he really wants to be good in Hasselbond’s eyes, even though he understands he is not a good person and that the rules in this island are not sane. This is a very sick kind of micro-society, but he still tries to obey the rules and he goes through moral choices in almost every scene.
Aguilar: Do you think the story worked better by not showing Elof’s story, Gustaf’s older brother who died mysteriously?
Bengts: Yes, I wanted to make it so that the audience could make up their own pictures of how Elof’s life was and what happened t him.
Aguilar: Do you see Hasselbond , the father, as the villain or a product of his isolated environment?
Bengts : Of course I think he is evil because no one has the right to behave the way he behaves, but It think Niklas Groundstroem who played Hasselbond, has some kind of sensitivity and honorability that makes you feel that he is a poor wounded person. I didn’t want to show what happened to him, or why he has become the way he is. Personally, I think that because he has bonded so much with Karl, he had the same experiences as Karl had.
Aguilar: Could you talk about your experience shooting on location on this isolated island?
Bengts: It was quite hard for all of us. We stayed at the lighthouse island, which is really in the middle of the sea, for five week. It was hard work, as I told you there are only this lighthouse and the house on this island so there were no places to stay for the crew. We had a small crew, about 30 people. Most of us stayed at the sailing ship you see in the movie, the ship of Gustaf’s dream, but everyone couldn’t fit it, so part of the crew stayed on set. The photographer, and his crew, they lived in tents for five weeks. It was really kind of a special shooting; I have never been through something like that before, and probably won’t again either. Of course since we were in an isolated island there were only snakes and sea birds, and you have only one location that is marvelous, so the story comes even closer to you. It allowed us to get deep into the emotions. We could focus on the story and the development of the characters. We worked in a quite simple way because we had no time to do a storyboard, so when we were shooting a scene, I rehearsed with the actors and we decided how they should move, the photographer was also present, and we discussed together what we were shooting in that scene. It was kind of an unusual way of working but the actors had a lot of freedom. I think you can see that this helped them.
Aguilar: Your film is representing Finland at the Academy Awards this year, is there any pressure on you because of this?
Bengts: To me is only joy. I’m very proud of our movie, and I’m proud that Finland made the decision that this movie should represent the country. I’m hopeful. I don’t feel the pressure at all, if we are shortlisted or get a nomination, is just a bonus. Representing Finland has helped the movie a lot already. When it was official we got quite a lot of invitations from international film festivals. After it was announced that it was the selection, the number of invitations rose 400%.
- 11/26/2013
- by Carlos Aguilar
- Sydney's Buzz
The Disciple, Finland's Submission for the Academy Award Nomination for Best Foreign Language Film. U.S. : None Yet. Producer: Långfilm Productions Finland Oy
Human lives are in constant transition, always adapting to ever-changing, unpredictable circumstances. Part of that process often includes replacing things that are no longer useful or no longer exist. Separations, moving to a different city or a different school, and more definitively, death, force individuals to replace the people in their lives in order to fill a void or seeking a second change. That's what Ulrika Bengts' suspenseful drama The Disciple (Lärjungen) explores in an almost-deserted island that serves as a microcosm for her characters to fully expose their need to be in control.
Set in the late 1930s and shot with the simple beauty of a classic painting, from the first frames Bengts wastes no time in showing the quietly dangerous realm the island represents. Hardworking Karl (Erik Lönngren), a thirteen year old boy, has arrived as the only available person to assist the lighthouse keeper with the arduous labor. Displeased by Karl’s age and fragile appearance, Master Hasselbond (Niklas Groundstroem), the veteran lighthouse keeper and defacto ruler, wants to send him back, arguing that whatever he can do, his own teenage boy already does. His son and most faithful follower, Gustaf (Patrik Kumpulainen), is a noble kid who wants nothing else than to please his terribly strict father even if he ridicules him and constantly reminds him that he will never amount to much. Based on the fact that the foreign boy is willing to help him with his mathematic assignments, Gustaf develops a brotherly friendship with Karl, who is diligent and proves himself useful by working around the island. Soon Hasselbond notices Karl’s talents and plans to make him his protégé.
Unafraid to use violence to assert his power and retain control over his family, Hasselbond has banned his wife Dorrit (Amanda Ooms) from playing music and has forbidden the entire family, including his young daughter Emma (Ping Mon H. Wallén), from speaking about the death of their older brother Elof. The oppressor finds in Karl a vessel for his unfulfilled aspirations and strict moral parameters. He wants him to become what neither of his two sons could be in his eyes, which turns Gustaf’s amiable relationship with Karl into hatred. The screenplay by Roland Fauser and Jimmy Karlsson efficiently conveys the story of this man with a pathological obsession with power, and it does so without the need of a religious fanaticism subplot.
The two boys and the maniacal patriarch form a trio in which the roles of teacher and student are symbiotic. Gustaf realizes his father won’t recognize his achievements, while slowly, Karl settles into his role of the devoted son who is willing to follow Hasselbond’s orders blindly. Early in the film, the father struggles to teach Gustaf geometrical concepts related to squares and equilateral triangles, shapes that must have equal sides to be complete. He wants to raise the boys in his image, poisoning them with false righteousness and by that, replacing his late firstborn with Karl to complete his vision of a family, his personal perfect triangle. All three actors in the main roles superbly tackle the emotions of their characters, and play off of each other to make this unsettling family drama stunningly frightening.
Working with a seemingly simple premise, Bengts creates an alluring piece whose haunting musical score by Peter Hägerstrand truly becomes an invisible player in the story. Added to this, the misleading peaceful atmosphere of the isolated location conceals the menacing secrets hidden inside the lighthouse. Here, Bengts' characters form a cult-like community in which their evil leader is only preoccupied with living vicariously through another individual with the purpose of denying his responsibility in the family’s tragic past. Tense and strikingly beautiful The Disciple is a film about legacy, about parents' expectations of their children and the alienating lack of individuality those expectations can impose on them.
Read more about all the 76 Best Foreign Language Film Submission for the 2014 Academy Awards...
Human lives are in constant transition, always adapting to ever-changing, unpredictable circumstances. Part of that process often includes replacing things that are no longer useful or no longer exist. Separations, moving to a different city or a different school, and more definitively, death, force individuals to replace the people in their lives in order to fill a void or seeking a second change. That's what Ulrika Bengts' suspenseful drama The Disciple (Lärjungen) explores in an almost-deserted island that serves as a microcosm for her characters to fully expose their need to be in control.
Set in the late 1930s and shot with the simple beauty of a classic painting, from the first frames Bengts wastes no time in showing the quietly dangerous realm the island represents. Hardworking Karl (Erik Lönngren), a thirteen year old boy, has arrived as the only available person to assist the lighthouse keeper with the arduous labor. Displeased by Karl’s age and fragile appearance, Master Hasselbond (Niklas Groundstroem), the veteran lighthouse keeper and defacto ruler, wants to send him back, arguing that whatever he can do, his own teenage boy already does. His son and most faithful follower, Gustaf (Patrik Kumpulainen), is a noble kid who wants nothing else than to please his terribly strict father even if he ridicules him and constantly reminds him that he will never amount to much. Based on the fact that the foreign boy is willing to help him with his mathematic assignments, Gustaf develops a brotherly friendship with Karl, who is diligent and proves himself useful by working around the island. Soon Hasselbond notices Karl’s talents and plans to make him his protégé.
Unafraid to use violence to assert his power and retain control over his family, Hasselbond has banned his wife Dorrit (Amanda Ooms) from playing music and has forbidden the entire family, including his young daughter Emma (Ping Mon H. Wallén), from speaking about the death of their older brother Elof. The oppressor finds in Karl a vessel for his unfulfilled aspirations and strict moral parameters. He wants him to become what neither of his two sons could be in his eyes, which turns Gustaf’s amiable relationship with Karl into hatred. The screenplay by Roland Fauser and Jimmy Karlsson efficiently conveys the story of this man with a pathological obsession with power, and it does so without the need of a religious fanaticism subplot.
The two boys and the maniacal patriarch form a trio in which the roles of teacher and student are symbiotic. Gustaf realizes his father won’t recognize his achievements, while slowly, Karl settles into his role of the devoted son who is willing to follow Hasselbond’s orders blindly. Early in the film, the father struggles to teach Gustaf geometrical concepts related to squares and equilateral triangles, shapes that must have equal sides to be complete. He wants to raise the boys in his image, poisoning them with false righteousness and by that, replacing his late firstborn with Karl to complete his vision of a family, his personal perfect triangle. All three actors in the main roles superbly tackle the emotions of their characters, and play off of each other to make this unsettling family drama stunningly frightening.
Working with a seemingly simple premise, Bengts creates an alluring piece whose haunting musical score by Peter Hägerstrand truly becomes an invisible player in the story. Added to this, the misleading peaceful atmosphere of the isolated location conceals the menacing secrets hidden inside the lighthouse. Here, Bengts' characters form a cult-like community in which their evil leader is only preoccupied with living vicariously through another individual with the purpose of denying his responsibility in the family’s tragic past. Tense and strikingly beautiful The Disciple is a film about legacy, about parents' expectations of their children and the alienating lack of individuality those expectations can impose on them.
Read more about all the 76 Best Foreign Language Film Submission for the 2014 Academy Awards...
- 11/14/2013
- by Carlos Aguilar
- Sydney's Buzz
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