Film i Väst co-productions have been selected to the film festivals in Toronto and Venice. In Venice, the world premiere of Lars von Trier’s dramaseries The Kingdom Exodus and Oliver Hermanus Living. In Toronto in Special Screenings Ali Abbasi’s Holy Spider and Ruben Östlund’s Triangle of Sadness and in section Primetime Lars von Trier’s The Kingdom Exodus plus three more co-productions.

Venice:

Lars von Trier’s dramaseries The Kingdom Exodus will have its world premiere at Venice Film Festival before it goes on to celebrate its North American Premiere at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival. The cast comprises Lars Mikkelsen, Nikolaj Lie Kaas, Mikael Persbrandt, Tuva Novotny, David Dencik, Aleksander Skarsgård.

Heavily influenced by the ghostly series THE KINGDOM, the sleepwalker Karen seeks answers to the unresolved questions of the series in order to save the hospital from doom. Sound asleep one night, Karen wanders into the darkness and inexplicably ends up in front of the hospital. The gate to the Kingdom is opening once more…

With The Kingdom Exodus Lars von Trier continues and finishes his internationally acclaimed 1990s cult series classic: The ghost story about the hospital built on top of the old bleaching ponds in Copenhagen, where evil has taken roots and the medical science faces a daily struggle with itself, where the Swedes curse the Danes, and the mysterious and inexplicable blend together in a mixture of horror and humour.

Living
Oliver Hermanus Living was selected for Sundance.
A veteran civil servant and bureaucratic cog in the rebuilding of Britain post-WWII, Williams (Bill Nighy) expertly pushes paperwork around a government office only to reckon with his existence when he’s diagnosed with a fatal illness. A widower, he conceals the condition from his grown son, spends an evening of debauchery with a bohemian writer in Brighton, and uncharacteristically avoids his office. But after a vivacious former co-worker, Margaret, inspires him to find meaning in his remaining days, Williams attempts to salvage a modest building project from bureaucratic purgatory.

Toronto:

Ruben Östlund won for the second time in five years a Palme d’Or for his Triangle of Sadness in Cannes. Triangle of Sadness starts out in the fashion universe. In the company of two models, Carl (Harris Dickinson) and Yaya (Charlbi Dean), we find ourselves on an exclusive yacht cruise, surrounded by the crème de la crème of society and a Marxist sea captain (Woody Harrelson). When the yacht is caught in a storm and sinks, a handful of the passengers are washed ashore on a deserted island. Tables are turned in the ensuing struggle for survival, and a middle-aged Filipino cleaning lady comes out on top. The cast also includes, among others, Zlatko Buric, Vicki Berlin and Henrik Dorsin.

Ali Abbasi’s Holy Spider was selected for Official Competition in Cannes where  Zar Amir-Ebrahini won Best Actress for her role. Synopsis: In Iran’s spiritual capital, Mashhad, a dangerous and brutal cat-and-mouse-game unfolds between a serial killer and a journalist seeking justice.

All co-productions in Toronto:

  • Ali Abbasi, Holy Spider, Special Presentations
  • Ruben Östlund, Triangle of Sadness, Special Presentations
  • Lars von Trier, Riget Exodus
  • Hlynur Pálmason, Godland
  • Cristian Muntu, R.M.N.
  • Oliver Hermanus, Living