Scandinavian Films Speak English

[Francis M. Hult]

Nordic Reach (Fall 2002)

Scandinavian Films Speak English

The world seems to have gotten smaller, at least from the point of view of
Northern European filmmakers.  While most of the dialogue in Swedish director
Lukas Moodysson’s latest film is in Russian, many of his colleagues in Sweden
and Denmark are opting for English in order to reach a larger audience and open
up new channels for financing.

For instance, two of Denmark’s greatest directors, Thomas Vinterberg and Lars
von Trier, for example, will soon team up on a new English-language project
called “Dear Wendy.”  Winterberg, best known for the award-
winning “Celebration,” will direct the film, which is based up a script by von
Trier (“The Idiots”), reports Screen Daily.  The film, set in the U.S., is
about a group of youths obsessed with guns.  Von Trier started writing Dear
Wendy—described by observers as one of his most commercial scripts to date—
before he began shooting his forthcoming “Dogville,” starring Nicole Kidman.

Vinterberg is currently putting the final touches on the score for “It’s All
About Love” (which, you guessed it, is also in English), set for a January 10
domestic release according to Screen Daily.

Meanwhile, Swede Jonas Åkerlund, best known as the creator of music videos for
the likes of Madonna and U2, is trying his hand at feature films.  He will make
his debut as director with “Spun,” which takes the audience on a wild journey
inside the head of a drug addict.  The cast of the English-language film
includes Jason Schwartzman (“Rushmore”), Swede Peter Stormare (“Fargo”),
Hollywood hunk Mickey Rourke and Mena Suvari (“American Beauty”).