27/09/2007

Legendary Norwegian actress Liv Ullmann, who has not played a major role in a Norwegian film since 1969, will make her comeback with I et speil, i en gate (“In a Mirror, in a Riddle”), written and directed by Danish filmmaker Jesper W. Nielsen (Okay) from the best-selling novel by Norwegian author Jostein Gaarden.

Ingmar Bergman’s muse will play the grandmother of 13 year-old Cecilie, who is seriously ill. It is just before Christmas and Cecilie spends most of her days confined to bed, daydreaming of a Spanish boy, Sebastian, she met the past summer. One night, a little guy who claims to be the angel Ariel pays her a visit.

From Sitges in Spain, where she has just arrived today for the first day of shooting, producer Turid Øversveen (4½ Productions) told Cineuropa how excited she is about having Ullmann on board. “I thought of her because her presence is very powerful and she is able to pass on a lot of warmth onscreen. I wrote her a letter, explaining why we wanted her in the part of Cecilie’s grandmother, asking her to read the script. She called me the day after she had received it, saying that she loved the story and was very moved by it,” says Øversveen.

Other cast members include Aksel Hennie, Mads Ousdal, and 15 year-old Marie Haagenrud. After several weeks in Spain, the second part of the shoot will continue in November on location in Norway.

The €2.7m film is produced by 4½ Productions in Norway in co-production with Zentropa Entertainment in Denmark and with support from the Norwegian Film Fund, the Danish Film Institute and Nordsik Film & TV Fond. Trust Film Sales is handling world sales.

On Friday, Ullmann will travel from Sitges to San Sebastian, where she will receive the honorary Donostia Award.