Yesterday BBC Films, Ffilm Cymru Wales and WestEnd Films released a first look at Rafe Spall (The Big Short, The BFG, upcoming Jurassic World sequel) as “Herb” in Denmark. Principal photography has now wrapped on the comedy movie directed by Adrian Shergold (Funny Cow, Pierrepoint: The Last Hangman, Mad Dogs TV series), which filmed on location in Wales and Denmark.
Herb can fix pretty much anything, a broken clock, a radio, the only thing he can’t fix is his own life. He’s out of work, he can only just afford a birthday card for his son, the loud neighbours keep him awake day and night, the local kids have just mugged him for his trainers – and it’s raining. Herb has had enough. Sitting in his cold flat in soggy socks, physically and mentally bruised, he knows he has to do something to turn his luck around. When he stumbles on a TV programme about the luxury of Danish prisons Herb finds the answer he’s been looking for: organic food, a flat screen TV, healthcare, a dentist, peace and quiet. It will be hard to leave behind his friends and the green valleys of South Wales, but now he knows what he has to do to find his second chance in life. Herb needs to make it to Denmark… and get arrested.
Denmark is written by Jeff Murphy (BAFTA winner “Hinterland” TV series) and is produced by Ed Talfan (“Hinterland”, The Passing, upcoming Netflix film Apostle) and David Aukin (Hyde Park on Hudson, Endgame, Churchill’s Secret). Crew members include Editor Tania Reddin (Funny Cow, Pierrepoint: The Last Hangman, Luther TV series) and DoP Ulf Brantas (The Wife, We Are the Best!). Denmark was developed and financed by BBC Films and Ffilm Cymru Wales (I Am Not a Witch, Dark Horse). Joe Oppenheimer serves as executive producer on behalf of BBC Films.
Joe Oppenheimer said of the project: “Denmark is a little jewel of a film. Adrian’s singular vision matched with the delicate warmth of Jeff Murphy’s script echoes the humour and humanity of filmmakers like Alexander Payne and Bill Forsyth. It’s a story of a modern, timeless Everyman, portrayed with great empathy and effortless charm by Rafe Spall.”
The first look still features Rafe Spall in front of Danish sculpture Men at Sea (by artist Svend Wiig Hansen) in Esbjerg where the Danish portion of filming took place. The film also stars Simone Lykke (Hundeliv, A Funny Man), Thomas Gabrielsson (A Royal Affair), Benedikte Hansen (Borgen TV series), Paul Barber (The Full Monty), Joel Fry (Game of Thrones, 10,000 BC), Steve Spiers (Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest, Star Wars: Episode I: The Phantom Menace), Russell Gomer, Ri Richards and Ifan Huw Dafydd.
The film, which finished shooting end of October in Denmark and Wales, is currently in post-production.
