Tobias Lindholm and Michael Noer's prison drama "R" brought them Thursday the Dreyer Award, which celebrates young filmmakers in the name of Danish cinema's most distinguished classic figure, Carl Theodor Dreyer – who, let's not forget, made one of world cinema's most famous prison dramas, "The Passion of Joan of Arc" from 1928.
Clarity of story
Made on a tight budget in an abandoned state penitentiary, "R" stands out for its hard-hitting, grim realism with a touch of Dogme of the early days.
"The brutal story, created by the directors with equal parts of research and imagination, is about two men, whose first names begin with the letter R, and their fate inside the prison walls," the jury, headed by associate professor Peter Schepelern, states in its motivation.
"What has impressed us most about 'R' is the uncompromising realism, the skilful use of amateurs and professionals, the psychological acuteness, and the clarity of the story, which never turns didactic nor is heavy with message."
About
Tobias Lindholm, a screenwriter graduate from the National Film School of Denmark, collaborated with Thomas Vinterberg on "Submarino", and the two are working on Vinterberg's new production, the Swedish-language drama "The Formula".
Michael Noer is best known for documentaries, not least "The Wild Hearts" about a group of young men on a moped crusade througt Eastern Europe in search of freedom and fellowship.
The Dreyer Award was presented on 3 February at the DFI Cinematheque in Copenhagen.
