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DISTRIBUTION UK

Nordic hits get UK release

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Two Scandinavian hits are currently screening in the United Kingdom with mixed results.
Norwegian hit, Elling [+see also:
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by Petter Naess was released on 14 March by alternative independent distributor Arts/Alliance-CityScreen. Danish hit Open Hearts [+see also:
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by Susanne Bier opened on Friday, 4 April by Icon Film Distribution. Both titles were released onto between 12-to-14 screens 4-5 of which in London and the rest in the regions – a strategy that is typical for arthouse, non-English language films and were supported by good reviews. Unfortunately, the films underperformed during their opening weekend: with Elling grossing £21,000 (Euros30,692) from 14 screens and Open Hearts managing £18,648 (Euros25,255) from 11 screens.
Both distributors feel that their respective films were damaged by strong competition, and the concurrent release of a number of titles that targeted the same audience and divided press attention, like Alexander Sokurov’s Russian Ark [+see also:
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and Caroline Link’s best foreign film Oscar-winner, Nowhere in Africa [+see also:
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. The general market downturn (by as much as 65 per cent last weekend with respect to the same time last year) was another key factor.
Icon may release Open Hearts in Belfast, in addition to its current 11 screens nationwide and are already planning a strategy for their next Danish release: Lone Scherfig’s Wilbur Wants to Kill Himself [+see also:
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, scheduled for 22 August.

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Sweden’s most popular hit of 2002, Lilja 4-Ever [+see also:
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by Lukas Moodysson is scheduled for release on 25 April.
Meanwhile another independent distributor, Metrodome, is hoping to repeat the success it obtained with Lukas Moodysson’s Together (over £715,000 - Euros1.045m gross in 2001), with the 25 April release of the Swedish director’s follow-up: Lilja 4-Ever [+see also:
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. This was Sweden’s top performing film of 2002. The film will initially be shown on 12 screens in London and some key cities around the country and subsequently open up to include other regions of the UK by late May.

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