'In a Better World'—Susanne Bier's story about the futile perpetuation of violence—was chosen today by the Danish Oscar committee as the national entry for the Academy Award nominations 2011.
A strong brand in the American film capital, Bier holds a valid card for yet another Academy Award nomination in the category of Best Foreign Language Film. Her drama 'After the Wedding' received a nomination in 2007.
Hollywood also remembers Bier for the US remake of her film 'Brothers' and her direction of US produced 'Things We Lost in the Fire', an engrossing melodrama starring Halle Berry and Benicio de Toro, both former Oscar recipients.
About 'In a Better World'
A doctor (Mikael Persbrandt) spends several months of the year working at a refugee camp in Africa when he is not living with his wife (Trine Dyrholm) and sons in Denmark. Their oldest son Elias (Markus Rygard), an open-hearted boy, is suffering from bullying at school. In the same town, a businessman is coming to terms with his wife's death. He is struggling to comfort his son Christian (William Jøhnk Nielsen) who has become estranged and enraged at the loss of his mother. A friendship develops between the two boys and ultimately this impacts on both their lives and their families' lives.
Written by Anders Thomas Jensen and Susanne Bier, 'In a Better World' was produced by Sisse Graum Jørgensen for Zentropa Entertainments. International sales are handled by TrustNordisk.
Impact on international sales and national boxoffice
'In a Better World' is sold to the US, where it will be distributed by Sony Pictures Classics who released three of the five Foreign Language films at last year's Oscars. The film will receive a cinema release in the US and Canada in the first quarter of 2011. Moreover, 'In A Better World' has closed distribution deals in 50 other countries, spread over all continents.
In the last week of September 'In a Better World' is first on the Top- 20-chart at the domestic boxoffice (after Toy Story 3), reaching over a quarter of a million admissions in its first four weeks.
Dramatic masterpiece about revenge, pacifism and forgiveness
Susanne Bier's 11th feature film 'In a Better World' has received excellent reviews in international and domestic media:
"A gripping meditation on the choices between pacificism and violence that are faced in so-called civilized society as well as extreme Third World situations. Bier always presents us with the most acute, out-of-the-ordinary human dilemmas and dramatizes them with such keen verite realism that the audience is immediately locked into the (melo)drama with no time for doubt or skepticism". Mike Goodridge in Screen Daily
"In a Better World is a dramatic masterpiece that surely stands as the crowning achievement in Bier's consistently enthralling filmography … In a Better World […] grows more and more riveting and engrossing as it progresses, as Bier does an absolutely stunning job of transforming each and every one of the film's central characters into fully-fleshed out, entirely compelling figures whose exploits one can't help but latch onto". David Nusair in Reel Film Reviews
"[…] a fascinating look at the difference between revenge, pacifism and forgiveness. The lines become blurred in a beautiful exploration of human instincts and our interpretation of knowing what's right and what's wrong […] Bier may not believe in hitting back, but she's a big believer in hitting hard".
Brad Brevet in TIFF Movie Review