It can hold 8000 spectators, the grand Piazza Grande in the heart of the Italian-Swiss city of Locarno. Soon, from 7 August, the beautiful Renaissance square will resonate with nocturnal cinematic thrills, including Mikkel Nørgaard's "The Keeper of Lost Causes", announced as part of the lineup at this 66th edition of the Festival del film Locarno.
Enjoying its world premiere at the festival, "The Keeper of Lost Causes" is the first of four Zentropa adaptations of Jussi Adler-Olsen's bestselling crime novels:
Following a shootout that left his two partners respectively dead and paralyzed, chief detective Carl Mørck is assigned to the newly established Department Q, a department for old, terminated cases. The department consists only of himself and his new assistant Assad. Although they get explicit orders to only read and sort through the cases, only a single day passes before Carl's stubborn nature throws them headfirst into the mystery of Merete Lynggaard, a beautiful female politician who vanished five years ago from a passenger ferry. The only witness is her brain-damaged brother who was found on the car deck, screaming at the top of his lungs. The case was put to rest as an apparent suicide. Unconvinced by this explanation Carl and Assad venture on a journey that will take them deep into the undercurrent of abuse and malice that lurks beneath the polished surface of Scandinavia.
"The Keeper of Lost Causes" has already sold to more than 30 countries, including Germany, Benelux, Switzerland, England, China and Russia.
Nikolaj Lie Kaas plays Carl Mørck and Fares Fares his assistant Assad. Also in the cast are Sonja Richter, Mikkel Boe Følsgaard, Søren Pilmark and Troels Lyby.
"The Keeper of Lost Causes" is directed by Mikkel Nørgaard ("Klown") with a screenplay by Nikolaj Arcel ("A Royal Affair"), and Louise Vesth has produced for Zentropa. International sales are handled by TrustNordisk.
The film has received production funding from the Danish Film Institute and will premiere in Denmark on 3 October.