An eventful autumn awaits debuting director Tea Lindeburg and her period drama 'As in Heaven'. The film will have its world premiere at the Toronto Film Festival, running from 9 to 18 September. Here it is selected for the 'Discovery' programme of 'directors to watch – the future of world cinema'.
Lindeburg's debut feature is also announced for main competition at the San Sebastián Film Festival, which takes place from 17 to 25 September.
The film, based on the Danish novel 'A Night of Death' from 1912 by Marie Bregendahl (1867-1940), is a story about one day at the end of the 1800s, when 14-year-old Lise’s life is changed forever. She is the eldest of her siblings, the first in her family to go to school and full of hope and confidence in life. But when her mother goes into labor, it quickly appears that something is wrong. As night falls and the labour progresses, Lise begins to understand that a day that began in childhood might end with her becoming the woman of the house.
Director and scriptwriter Tea Lindeburg graduated from Super16 in 2006. She is behind the Danish Netflix series 'Equinox', based on her podcast series 'Equinox 1985' which was nominated for the Prix Italia 2017. Upcoming actor Flora Ofelia Hofmann Lindahl takes on the lead, with Thure Lindhardt, Stine Fischer Christensen, Ida Cæcilie Rasmussen and Lisbet Dahl playing her family.
'As in heaven' is produced by Lise Orheim Stender and Jesper Morthorst for Motor with support from the Danish Film Institute, the regional film fund FilmFyn and broadcaster DR. The Danish premiere is set for 6 January 2022.
