The Locarno Festival, located in southern Switzerland on the shores of Lago Maggiore, has announced Hlynur Pálmason's debut feature "Winter Brothers" as part of the line-up for the main competition, the Concorso internazionale, competing for the prestigious Golden Leopard award.
"Winter Brothers" is making its world premiere at the festival, which will be up and running from 2 August.
A Brother Odyssey
"A brother odyssey set in a workers' environment during a cold winter" is how Icelandic-born director Hlynur Pálmason describes his film that follows two brothers, their routines, habits, rituals and a violent feud that erupts between them and another family. A tale of lack of love, focusing on the younger brother Emil and his need to be loved and desired.
Most of "Winter Brothers" is shot on 16mm in a Danish limestone quarry, with Elliott Crosset Hove and Simon Sears playing the two brothers. The cast also includes Peter Plaugborg, Michael Brostrup, Victoria Carmen Sonne and Lars Mikkelsen.
Well-established Team
The script is written by Pálmason, who has also directed the film. Julie Waltersdorph Hansen and Per Damgaard Hansen have produced for Masterplan Pictures. Established in 2013, Masterplan Pictures is releasing its first feature film with "Winter Brothers." Anton Máni Svansson is co-producing for Icelandic Join Motion Pictures.
The film has received production funding from the Danish Film Institute's talent programme New Danish Screen, and it has also been granted co-production support from the Icelandic Film Center. New Europe Film Sales is handling international sales.
Pálmason and producer Julie Waltersdorph Hansen graduated from the National Film School of Denmark in 2013. "Winter Brothers" is created together with several of their fellow students from that time: Per Damgaard Hansen (executive producer), Maria von Hausswolff (photographer), Lars Magnus Halvorsen (sound designer), Julius Krebs Damsbo (editor), Gustav Pontoppidan (production designer) and Toke Brorson Odin (composer).
Pálmason attended the Toronto Film Festival in 2014 with his short film "Seven Boats." Read interview with the director on the occasion of the festival: Films should be demanding
"Winter Brothers" will be the opening film of the main competition, this year presided over by French filmmaker Olivier Assayas.
Minor co-production: "Wajib"
In addition to "Winter Brothers", Annemarie Jacir's Palestinian co-production "Wajib" has also been selected for the main competition. "Wajib" is produced by Ossama Bawardi for Philistine Films and co-produced by Danish SnowGlobe along with JBA Productions, Metafora Productions, Cactus Films, Ciudad Lunar, Ape&Bjorn, Schortcut Films and Klinker Films.
Locarno Festival 2-12 August 2017
Vinterbrødre
En broderodysse sat i et arbejdermiljø under en kold vinter. Vi følger to brødre, deres rutiner, vaner og ritualer samt en voldelig splid, der udvikler sig mellem dem og en anden familie. En fortælling om mangel på kærlighed, med fokus på den yngste bror og hans behov for at blive elsket og begæret.
