Martin Zandvliet’s Harvest (Høst) will have its world premiere in competition at Canneseries (see the news), this year running from 23-28 April. The seven-part drama (which will be presented at the festival via its first two episodes) marks the Oscar-nominated filmmaker’s first venture into the series format with a story about family legacy and the invisible fractures that shape it.

Set on the ancestral farm of Feldumgaard, Harvest begins during what should be a celebratory gathering: the 65th birthday of family patriarch Gorm. However, the occasion quickly spirals into conflict when Gorm shocks everyone by naming his youngest daughter, Astrid, as his successor – bypassing his eldest son, Erik, who has long expected to take over. The announcement tears the family apart: Erik is furious, their brother Thomas is pushed by his pregnant wife Hanna to claim the farm for himself, and Astrid is left fighting to prove she belongs at the helm.

As Astrid takes on the challenge, old wounds and new betrayals surface. A resentful nephew sabotages the grain, internal family rivalries deepen, and Astrid rekindles ties with her childhood love Jens – all while navigating the pressures of modernising the farm. When a public confrontation at the Midsummer celebration and a shocking scare involving two missing children force the family into the spotlight, Astrid realises that the cost of leadership is higher than she ever imagined.

The ensemble cast is led by Katrine Greis-Rosenthal (Special Unit – The First Murder) as Astrid, alongside Elliott Crosset Hove (Godland, Basileia) as Erik and Simon Bennebjerg (The Promised Land) as Thomas. The parental figures, Gorm and Karin, are portrayed by Lars Brygmann (Tove's Room) and Charlotte Fich (Prisoner), respectively, while Joachim Fjelstrup (The Girl with the Needle) also features in a key role, and Helene Reingaard Neumann, Marie Sandø Jondal, Marie Dalsgaard, Lado Hadzic and Molly Egelind are also playing major parts.

Created, written and directed by Zandvliet, the series builds on the filmmaker’s track record of character-driven storytelling, following works such as Land of Mine, which picked up an Academy Award nomination, and his more recent features like The Marco Effect and Tove's Room, exploring moral dilemmas and human conflict. With Harvest, Zandvliet turns his attention to the small screen for the first time, using the extended format to delve deeper into generational tensions and the shifting dynamics of contemporary rural life.

“With Harvest, we want to tell a gripping family drama in which the major changes in agriculture create a unique framework for a family’s development. It is about strong family traditions and the joy of seeing the ancestral farm live on, but also about divisions, power struggles and the direction of the future,” says Henriette Marienlund, head of DR Drama.

Harvest is being produced by DR Drama, with Rikke Tørholm Kofoed serving as producer. The series forms part of the broadcaster’s ongoing fiction strategy, focusing on high-end, locally rooted stories with universal appeal. It will air on DR in Denmark, with international distribution handled by DR Sales. The series is expected to premiere in autumn 2026 and is a part of the New8 collaboration (see the news).