01/06/2010

Fuelled by excellent reviews and post-Cannes hype, Janus Metz’s Danish documentary Armadillo [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Janus Metz, director of Arm…
film profile] opened in first place in the domestic Top Ten for distributor Nordisk Film last weekend. With over 22,000 admissions from 56 screens, the film’s per screen average was almost double that of Disney’s Prince of Persia in its second weekend.

“I think Janus Metz has hit the right mix with a film that is both controversial and emotional, with lots of action and feelings, which is why it is so successful,” said producer Ronnie Fridthjof. “The most important thing is that the film has created a real debate for all the Danes young and old, whatever their background. This debate is precisely what had hoped for from the very start.”

Metz’s inside look at the war in Afghanistan, filmed from a Danish base, was hailed by critics at the last Cannes Film Festival, where it won the Grand Prix in Critics’ Week. A controversial scene of Danish soldiers shown ambushing and “finishing off” five Taliban also led to the Danish army’s decision to open up an inquiry into the case.

To respond to the strong must-see factor from Danish audiences, Nordisk Film agreed with the production company Fridthjof Film to change the opening date originally scheduled for July.

The film also attracted a lot of interest from world buyers and sales agent TrustNordisk has reportedly already sold it to several territories, including Norway (Arthaus).