Co-director of the award-winning R (2010) Michael Noer has been invited to International Film Festival Rotterdam to participate with his newest film NORTHWEST in the festival's Bright Future section. The Bright Future section serves as “a platform for filmmakers of the future - where the most important, idiosyncratic and adventures new work by novice filmmakers from all over the world is presented”. NORTHWEST has also been selected for IFFR's new competition The Big Screen. The Big Screen Competition will include ten films from the festiva´s main sections Bright Future and Spectrum. Eligible are new films not yet acquired for Benelux distribution and the award comes with guaranteed distribution within the Netherlands in collaboration with Dutch distributor Amstelfilm.
NORTHWEST depicts a criminal nest of gang related activities feeding on honor, territorial discipline and pride. The title refers to one of the most impoverished multi-ethnic areas of Copenhagen: Nordvest. Living here with his mother, younger brother and little sister is 18-year-old Casper, who struggles to make ends meet based on selling stolen goods to one of the neighborhood pack leaders. When organized crime hits Nordvest, the hierarchy of the neighborhood shifts and Casper is offered a chance to climb the ranks. Soon he´s hurled into a world of drugs, violence and prostitution and as things escalate his childhood playground becomes a battlefield. Consequently Casper finds himself and his family dead center in a conflict that threatens to destroy them.
Michael Noer´s first feature film R (2010), co-directed by Tobias Lindholm and starring Pilou Asbæk (BORGEN, 2010-), won several of prizes and along with his documentaries VESTERBRO (2007) and THE WILD HEARTS (2008) it marked him as one of the most talented directors of his time. Born 1978, Noer graduated from The National Film School of Denmark´s documentary programme in 2003. NORTHWEST is Noer´s second feature film.
Starring as the two brothers in NORTHWEST are newcomers and real life brothers Gustav Dyekjær Giese and Oscar Dyekjær Giese. Other leading roles are Roland Møller (R, 2010, A HIJACKING 2012), Lene Maria Christensen (TERRIBLY HAPPY, 2008, A FAMILY, 2010) and Nicholas Westwood Kidd, a Scottish/Danish rapper artistically working under the alias Kidd.
NORTHWEST is produced by Nordisk Film Production´s Tomas Radoor and Rene Ezra, who are also behind the award-winning successes R (Noer and Lindholm, 2010) and A HIJACKING (Lindholm, 2012). Executive producers are Henrik Zein, Lena Haugaard and Thomas Heinesen from Nordisk Film Production. Editor is Adam Nielsen has edited films such as BROTHERS (Bier, 2004), GHOST OF CITÉ SOLEIL (Leth, 2005), R (Lindholm and Noer, 2010) and A HIJACKING (Lindholm, 2012). Cinematographer is Magnus Nordenhof Jønck, DFF, who also shot A HIJACKING (Lindholm, 2012). NORTHWEST is supported by the Danish Broadcasting Corporation, (DR) and The Danish Film Institute. Budget is EUR 2.1m. Domestic distributor Nordisk Film releases NORTHWEST April 2012 and TrustNordisk handles international sales.
The International Film Festival Rotterdam will take place January 23rd to February 3rd.
Screening schedule for NORTHWEST
28/1 21:00 Pathe 5 (World Premiere)
29/1 13:15 Pathe 1
30/1 19:30 Oude Luxor (Q&A)
02/2 22:15 Cinerama
Head of Sales Susan Wendt (susan@trustnordisk.com / +45 6029 8466) will be attending the Festival from January 27th - 30th.
Also screening at International Film Festival Rotterdam is Mikael Marcimain's political thriller CALL GIRL:
25/1 13:00 Oude Luxor
26/1 21:30 Pathe 2
30/1 15:30 Pathe 2
01/2 19:15 LV 1