02/06/2010

The Danish Film Institute has just awarded DKK 20.6m (around €2.8m) in production support to four mainstream Danish films, including a new romantic comedy by Susanne Bier.

Co-written by her usual partner Anders Thomas Jensen, Bier’s untitled romantic comedy tells the story a hairdresser who’s going through a tough time in her life. After being treated for cancer, she has lost a breast, her man and her home. While on her way to Italy, where she will attend her daughter’s wedding, she meets Emil, a man her own age, and falls totally in love with him.

The film’s cast will be announced over time. The film will be produced by Bier’s producer Sisse Graum Jørgensen for Zentropa. Bier will start shooting the comedy after the launch of her latest completed film, In a Better World [+see also:
trailer
film profile], set to open in August in Denmark.

The DFI has supported another Zentropa comedy, Klovn (Clown), an adaptation of the popular Danish sitcom of the same name. The film is being made by the series’ creative team, actors and co-writers Frank Hvam and Casper Christensen, and director Mikkel Nørgaard. The project produced by Louise Vesth will be released domestically on December 16.

Far til fire-tilbage til naturen (Father of Four: Back to Nature), the fifth instalment of the successful family series directed by Claus Bjerre for ASA Film, will start shooting this summer, featuring Niels Olsen once again in the lead; while Klassefesten (The Class Party) will be the debut feature for TV director Niels Nørlev and will star Anders W. Berthelsen, Troels Lyby and Nikolaj Kopernikus.