21/06/2010

The dramatic battle of Dybbøl of April 18, 1864 – where Denmark lost to the Prussian and Austrian armies – is being brought to the screen by Danish filmmaker Ole Bornedal.

Slagtebænk Dybbøl (the working title literally means “Slaughterhouse Dybbøl”) will be adapted by Bornedal and Jeppe Gjervig Grem from the eponymous award-winning novel by Tom Buk-Swienty. It will be the first war movie for the director of contemporary thrillers such as Deliver Us from Evil [+see also:
trailer
film profile] (2009) and Just Another Love Story [+see also:
trailer
film profile] (2007).

The Battle of Dybbøl in southern Jutland, where Danish soldiers suffered a severe defeat against the German Confederation, became a symbol of courage and self-sacrifice for the Danes. Bornedal said he has always been interested in the siege of Dybbøl, at which Danish soldiers were caught in a “mad and fateful reality”.

Danish historian-journalist Buk-Swienty said he was thrilled that his war novel was going to make it to the screens and believes it is in “safe hands”. The project, in development since February, will be produced by Miso Film, with co-financing from Danish public broadcaster DR. Shooting is scheduled to start in 2012.

The Copenhagen-based Miso Film, headed by Peter Bose and Jonas Allen, is one of Scandinavia’s major production houses. One of its most recent successes is the screen adaptation of the Norwegian crime series Varg Veum [+see also:
trailer
film profile].