Copenhagen, 21 November 2024 – The International Film Festival Rotterdam has revealed further titles of its official selection for this year's edition, and Jeppe Rønde's ACTS OF LOVE is among the featured films. ACTS OF LOVE is the latest pickup by TrustNordisk, which has secured world rights to this powerful drama, starring Cecilie Lassen (WALK WITH ME) and Jonas Holst Schmidt (COPENHAGEN DOES NOT EXIST). The film will screen in the festival's Harbour section, where it will make its world premiere (30 January - February 9, 2025).
ACTS OF LOVE investigates the boundaries of love and what happens when we fall outside of society’s norms. The film follows Hanna, who lives in a New Age Christian community in rural Denmark and longs to have a child. But her sheltered life starts to unravel as the unexpected arrival of her younger brother Jacob stirs up long-buried memories of their troubled past. Will his arrival threaten Hanna’s dream of becoming a mother? And will the members of the community be able to live up to their own rules and beliefs, when they are confronted with the question: who gets to decide over love?
ACTS OF LOVE explores the complexity of human relationships, tackling themes of love, identity, and the life-altering choices we make. Rather than idealizing love, the film portrays it as raw, imperfect, and often elusive, with Rønde’s direction expertly capturing the subtleties of each relationship and inviting the audience to reflect on their own experiences with love and vulnerability.
In addition to directing ACTS OF LOVE, Jeppe Rønde, best known for his 2015 feature drama BRIDGEND, which introduced Josh O’Connor and toured numerous festivals and was awarded at Tribeca, co-wrote the script with Christopher Grøndahl (THE FINAL RACE, 2023; THE WAVE, 2015; NOKAS, 2010). ACTS OF LOVE was one of the 19 projects that was presented at Haugesund in works-in progress, where it won Best Project Award, and it was also one of the 13 selected projects showcased at Les Arcs Film Festival’s work-in progress-section.
The cast is led by Danish actress and former ballet dancer Cecilie Lassen (WALK WITH ME, 2016), alongside Jonas Holst Schmidt (COPENHAGEN DOES NOT EXIST, 2022) and Ann Eleonora Jørgensen (RIDE UPON THE STORM, 2017-18;THE KILLING, 2007) among others. Produced by Julie Friis Walenciak and Siri Bøge Dynesen of Copenhagen-based Paloma Productions (CLUB ZERO, 2023; TÓTEM, 2023: TRIANGLE OF SADNESS, 2022; NEON HEART, 2018).
Managing Director, Susan Wendt of TrustNordisk says: "Rønde’s insight into human emotion and his deep empathy for his characters infuse ACTS OF LOVE with authenticity and depth. The film features powerful performances and a carefully crafted narrative that highlights both the beauty and fragility of love in all its forms. It promises to be a compelling addition to the international film landscape".
Director Jeppe Rønde comments on the selection: “With ACTS OF LOVE, I want to tell a story about how dysfunctional family patterns can ruin childhood innocence and lead to adult guilt and shame. Set in a New Age Christian community, I want to look at whether faith could be a way to embrace such guilt and shame and furthermore explore the nature of the love we seek in order to survive. Returning to Rotterdam exactly one decade after BRIDGEND is fantastic and I can’t wait to introduce this film to the industry and audience there.”
ACTS OF LOVE is directed by Jeppe Rønde, written by Jeppe Rønde and Christopher Grøndahl and produced by Julie Friis Walenciak and Siri Bøge Dynesen for Paloma Productions. With support from the Danish Film Institute and the West Danish Film Fund in collaboration with DR, Scandinavian Film Distribution and Filmbazar. International sales handled by TrustNordisk.
The film is set to release locally on 11 September 2025. For inquiries or more information please contact us here.
