Hævnen (2010)

Director:

Susanne Bier

Writers:

Anders Thomas Jensen (screenplay)
Susanne Bier (story) ...
(more)

Release Date:

26 August 2010 (Denmark)

Genre:

Drama | Thriller

Plot:

The lives of two Danish families cross each other, and an extraordinary but risky friendship comes into bud. But loneliness, frailty and sorrow lie in wait.

Plot Keywords:

Danish | Boy | Friendship | Refugee Camp | Death

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 6 wins & 18 nominations

Cast

Mikael Persbrandt	...	Anton
Wil Johnson	...	Najeeb (as Will Johnson)
Eddy Kimani	...	Patient (as Eddie Kimani)
Emily Mulaya	...	Sygeplejerske
Gabriel Muli	...	Læge
June Waweru	...	Sygeplejerske
Mary Ndoku Mbai	...	Patient (as Mary Nduku Mbai)
Dynah Bereket	...	Gammel dame
William Jøhnk Nielsen	...	Christian (as William Jøhnk Juel Nielsen)
Ulrich Thomsen	...	Claus
Elsebeth Steentoft	...	Signe
Satu Helena Mikkelinen	...	Hanna
Camilla Gottlieb	...	Eva
Simon Maagaard Holm	...	Sofus
Emil Nicolai Helms	...	Sofus' skolekammerat
Martin Buch	...	Niels
Markus Rygaard	...	Elias
Trine Dyrholm	...	Marianne
Toke Lars Bjarke	...	Morten
Anette Støvelbæk	...	Hanne
Preben Harris	...	Patient på hospitalet
Birthe Neumann	...	Mariannes kollega
Paw Henriksen	...	Politibetjent
Jesper Lohmann	...	Politibetjent
Bodil Jørgensen	...	Rektor
Kim Bodnia	...	Lars
Lucas Oliver Nyman	...	Lars' søn (as Lucas O. Nyman)
Rikke Louise Andersson	...	Lars' kone (as Rikke Louise Anderson)
Lars Kaalund	...	Lars' kollega
Godfrey Ojiambo	...	Mand
Evans Muthini	...	Oversætter
Odiege Matthew	...	Big Man (as Ondiege Matthew)
Nancy Akoth	...	Kvinde
Camilla Bendix	...	Løber
Alberte Blichfeldt	...	Løberens datter
Stig Hoffmeyer	...	Læge
Peter Flyvholm	...	Sygeplejer
Lars Bom	...	Kriminalassistent
Tina Gylling Mortensen	...	Socialarbejder
Susanne Juhász	...	Sygeplejerske (as Susanne Juhasz)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Trice Angie Christiansen	...	Guest (uncredited)
Peter Frederiksen	...	Family Relative (uncredited)

Directed by
Susanne Bier

Writing credits
Anders Thomas Jensen		(screenplay)
Susanne Bier		(story) &
Anders Thomas Jensen		(story)

Produced by
Karen Bentzon	....	line producer
Tomas Eskilsson	....	co-producer
Peter Aalbæk Jensen	....	executive producer
Sisse Graum Jørgensen	....	producer

Original Music by
Johan Söderqvist

Cinematography by
Morten Søborg

Film Editing by
Pernille Bech Christensen
Morten Egholm

Casting by
Lene Seested

Production Design by
Peter Grant

Set Decoration by
Lene Ejlersen
Mathias Holmgreen

Costume Design by
Manon Rasmussen

Makeup Department
Charlotte Laustsen	....	makeup artist
Daniel Parker	....	makeup artist
Daniel Parker	....	special makeup effects artist

Production Management
Anne Katrine Andersen	....	post-production supervisor
Søren Frimodt-Møller	....	production supervisor
Ida Marie Harder Jeppesen	....	unit production manager
Ingrid Kofoed	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Henrik Henziger	....	assistant director
Joakim Höglund	....	first assistant director
Ezekiel Onyango	....	first assistant director: second unit
Balder Skånstrøm-Bo	....	second assistant director

Sound Department
Torben Greve	....	foley artist
Allan Holmberg	....	sound recordist
Anne Jensen	....	sound editor
Lars Rasmussen	....	sound
Eddie Simonsen	....	sound editor

Special Effects by
Søren Skov Haraldsted	....	special effects senior pyrotechnician
Hummer Høimark	....	special effects
Christian Kitter	....	special effects senior technician

Stunts
Hans Peter Ludvigsen	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Per Arnesen	....	still photographer
Jens Bo Fraek	....	grip (as Jens Fraek Poulsen)
Jonas Madsen	....	electrician
Jacob Marlow	....	first assistant camera
Jacob Marlow	....	gaffer
Ivan Molina Carmona	....	electrician
Michael Tøt	....	dit assistant camera
Valdemar Cold Winge	....	assistant camera
Derek Gilbert Zacho	....	assistant camera

Casting Department
Aurélie Guichard	....	extras casting
Line Kromann	....	casting
Jette Termann	....	casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Louize Nissen	....	assistant costume designer

Editorial Department
Anne Katrine Andersen	....	post-production coordinator
Gregers Dohn	....	trailer editor
Carla Luffe Heintzelmann	....	assistant editor
Peter Hjorth	....	colorist

Music Department
Patrik Andrén	....	rhythm arranger
Mikael Carlsson	....	soundtrack producer
Peter Fuchs	....	scoring mixer
Erik Guldager	....	music mixer
Uno Helmersson	....	assistant composer
Joakim Jennefors	....	vocalist

Transportation Department
Nelson Kibe	....	driver: Kenya

Other crew
Kenneth Berg	....	location manager
Camilla Brem	....	researcher
Susanne Falck	....	script supervisor
Robin Hollister	....	location manager: Kenya
Sidsel Hybschmann	....	assistant: producer
Louise Palmkvist	....	assistant: lineproducer
Line Plougsbæk	....	post production assistant
Katrin Pors	....	production coordinator: Kenya

Thanks
Jarl Friis-Mikkelsen	....	thanks
Mogens Hagedorn	....	thanks
Christina Rosendahl	....	thanks

Production Companies

• Danmarks Radio (DR)
• Det Danske Filminstitut
• Film Fyn
• Film i Väst (in co-production with)
• Memfis Film
• Nordisk Film- & TV-Fond
• Programme MEDIA de la Communauté Européenne (supported by)
• Sveriges Television (SVT)
• Swedish Film Institute
• Trollhättan Film AB
• Zentropa International
• Zentropa Productions

Distributors

• First Distributors (2010) (Hong Kong) (all media)
• TrustNordisk (2010) (worldwide) (all media)
• Nordisk Film Distribution (2010) (Denmark) (theatrical)
• Alfa Films (2011) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Axiom Films (2011) (UK) (theatrical)
• Bio Rex Distribution (2010) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Cathay-Keris Films (2011) (Singapore) (theatrical)
• Cinéart (2011) (Belgium) (theatrical)
• Cinéart (2011) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Longride (2011) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Mongrel Media (2011) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Odeon (2011) (Greece) (theatrical)
• Rialto Distribution (2010) (Australia) (theatrical)
• Sony Pictures Classics (2011) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Universum Film (UFA) (2011) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Équation Distribution (2011) (France) (theatrical)
• Axiom Films (2012) (UK) (DVD)
• Film1 (2012) (Netherlands) (TV) (limited)
• Kam & Ronson Enterprise Co (2012) (Hong Kong) (DVD)
• PepperView Entertainment (2011) (Portugal) (all media)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2011) (USA) (DVD)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2011) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Transeuropa Video Entertainment (TVE) (2011) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Twin Pics (2011) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Universum Film (UFA) (2011) (Germany) (DVD)
• Universum Film (UFA) (2011) (Germany) (DVD) (Blu-ray)

Special Effects

• Dansk Speciel Effekt Service

Other Companies

• Dolby Laboratories  sound mix
• MovieScore Media  soundtrack

Also Known As:

"In a Better World" - Australia (imdb display title), International (English title) (imdb display title), USA (imdb display title)
"Hämnden" - Sweden
"Revenge" - Europe (English title) (alternative title)
"En un mundo mejor" - Argentina (imdb display title), Mexico (imdb display title), Peru (imdb display title), Spain (imdb display title)
"Месть" - Russia
"Be'olam tov yoter" - Israel (Hebrew title) (alternative title)
"Daha Iyi Bir Dünyada" - Turkey (Turkish title) (imdb display title)
"Egy jobb világ" - Hungary (imdb display title)
"Em um Mundo Melhor" - Brazil
"I en bedre verden" - Norway (imdb display title)
"In einer besseren Welt" - Germany (imdb display title)
"In un mondo migliore" - Italy (imdb display title)
"Isos, avrio!" - Greece (imdb display title)
"Kosto" - Finland (imdb display title)
"Num Mundo Melhor" - Portugal (imdb display title)
"Revenge" - France (imdb display title)
"Shurisdzieba (Uketess samkaroshi)" - Georgia (imdb display title)
"U boljem svijetu" - Croatia (imdb display title)
"Un monde meilleur" - Canada (French title) (dubbed version)
"W lepszym swiecie" - Poland (imdb display title)

MPAA:

Rated R for violent and disturbing content some involving preteens, and for language

Runtime:

Denmark:119 min

Country:

Denmark | Sweden

Language:

Danish | Swedish | English | Arabic

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Denmark:15 | Norway:15 | Sweden:15 | Australia:MA (2010) | USA:R (certificate #46570) | Finland:K-13 | Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) | Portugal:M/16 (Qualidade) | Singapore:NC-16 | South Korea:12 | Japan:PG12 | UK:15 | Ireland:15A | Argentina:16 | Germany:12 | Netherlands:12

Filming Locations:

Fåborg, Fyn, Denmark

Company:

Danmarks Radio (DR)

Trivia:

Director Susanne Bier's fourth collaboration with screenwriter Anders Thomas Jensen (following Elsker dig for evigt (2002), Brødre (2004) and Efter brylluppet (2006)), and the third time she has cast Ulrich Thomsen (after Sekten (1997) and Brødre (2004)).

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): When Anton (Michael Persbrant) performs his first surgery he scratches his head/corrects the position of his mask after having put on sterile gloves thereby contaminating them and risking that the patient gets infected. A real surgeon would never do this, and if she or he did, she or he would change gloves.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Ebert Presents: At the Movies: Episode #1.11" (2011)

Cruel to Be Kind

Greetings again from the darkness. As is customary, the Oscar winner for Best Foreign Language film finally makes it to Dallas in April AFTER the awards show is long forgotten (well, except for the half-assed hosting job by James Franco). Denmark's entry, directed by Susanne Bier (Things We Lost in the Fire), is overflowing with every human emotion one can imagine. However, the battle between two emotions is most prevalent: misplaced revenge and forgiveness.

At it's core, this is a story of two fathers and two sons. The presentation is quite odd in that it tries desperately to tie in all spectrum of human emotion and economic standing. Anton (Mikael Persbrandt from the excellent 2008 "Everlasting Moments") travels back and forth between an African refugee camp where he serves as a doctor, and his upscale Denmark home where he is separated from his wife and trying to set a good example for his son Elias (Markus Rygaard).

The other father is Claus (Ulrich Thomsen) whose relationship with his son Christian (William Johnk Nielsen) is flat out terrible. Christian's mother has recently lost her battle with cancer and it has caused a rift between these two ... and lit a fire of anger in young Christian.

Soon enough Christian stumbles upon Elias being bullied at school. His flaming temper sets the bully straight with a violent act, creating a bond between Elias and Christian. Sadly Christian continues to spin off axis and he drags Elias along.

As a doctor in the camp, Anton constantly strives to repair the despicable acts of the local town bully. This is used to contrast with what's going on with his own son at home. There are many parts of the film that are difficult to watch, especially as Christian just loses his grip on reality.

While I certainly see the excellence in the film, I believe the filmmakers tried too hard to stage the contrast. The story of the boys was plenty powerful enough to carry a film. Also, the doctor in the camp could have made a chilling movie on it's own. Instead we gets bits of each and that's fine ... just not what it might have been.