|
Starring Mads Mikkelsen, the movie portrays the stoic battle of
a taciturn, retired army captain in the mid-18th century as he
tries to tame the hostile Jutland landscape and outwit an evil,
sadistic local aristocratic.
The film was made on a budget of just $9 million, but has an
epic feel to it, as Mikkelsen's character confronts the bitter
elements and his own conflicted desires.
"We're here in a way with a truly independent movie, which is
also proof that you can do it. You can get around. You don't
have to do the studio system," director Nikolaj Arcel told
Reuters. "You can do it, you know, the way we want to do it ...
and that's why it's nice to be here."
U.S. actors and writers are striking simultaneously for the
first time in 63 years, shutting down both television and movie
productions in Hollywood, and preventing many stars from coming
to Venice to promote their films.
"Obviously as a writer, director, I'm in full support of the
strike, and I really hope they will get everything they want,"
Arcel said.
Arcel has experienced the U.S. studio system, having made "The
Dark Tower" in 2017, which starred Idris Elba and Matthew
McConaughey, but he said he was happy to be working in his
native Danish alongside his old friend Mikkelsen, with whom he
made "A Royal Affair" in 2012.
"He was in on it from the beginning, even in the script stage.
So it was it was it was quite a joyful experience to do this
film," Arcel said.
"The big challenge was how to make a really big cinematic, epic
experience of scope with the Scandinavian budget," he said. "I
think, and hope that we achieve that. But that was tough. We
worked a lot of hours every single day for a long time."
"The Promised Land" is one of 23 movies competing for the
prestigious Golden Lion award at the Venice Film Festival, which
runs until Sept. 9.
(Writing by Crispian Balmer; Editing by Alison Williams)
[© 2023 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content.
|
|
