Ole Christian Madsen's divorce comedy "Superclásico" is currently touring in L.A. as part of a pre-Oscar campaign. The film was shown at Palm Springs International Film Festival 5-7 January and Scandinavian Film Festival in Los Angeles 8 January and has enjoyed high attendance and praise from both the public audience and AMPAS members.
At Palm Springs International Film Festival the film was shown in the program "Awards Buzz: Best Foreign Language Film", which presents the festival's selection of the 40 strongest foreign language Oscar submissions. More than 800 attended the first screening Friday night and 1000 attended the second screening Saturday afternoon and engaged enthusiastically in the following Q&A.
The film enjoyed the same warm reception at the Scandinavian Film Festival in Los Angeles. The screening was held in an almost full cinema at the Writers Guild Theater in Beverly Hills.
Predicted for Oscar shortlist
The foreign-language Oscar shortlist is released 18 January. Screen Daily critic Mike Goodridge has predicted "Superclásico" as one of the ten films which might make the cut. The film has been very well received by the audience, which some say is unusual for a Scandinavian comedy.
"Superclásico opened domestically in March and enjoyed a warm reception at its North American premiere in Toronto, and since the film has traveled to festivals worldwide, among them Rio de Janeiro, Warsaw, Reykjavik, Busan, Thessaloniki, and Tallinn, where it won the audience award.
Set in Buenos Aires, "Superclásico" follows Christian (Anders W. Berthelsen) who travels halfway around the world with his son to make his soon-to-be ex-wife Anna (Paprika Steen) sign the divorce papers while harboring a secret desire to win her back – a trip that also turns out to be a veritable clash of cultures for the edgy Dane.
Director Ole Christian Madsen is set to direct his first U.S. production and English-language film, the thriller "Paper Trail", financed and produced by Sidney Kimmel Entertainment.
Read interview with Ole Christian Madsen in FILM#72