Writing
The film "Den, der lever stille" is an adaptation of the bestselling book by Leonora Christina Skov. The story is based on the author's own life and touches on a number of taboos and highly topical themes such as sexuality, guilt and loneliness. The novel has been at the top of the Danish bestseller lists for a full 62 weeks, has sold 120,000 copies and, not least, secured the author the book prize De Gyldne Laurbær. The film adaptation is directed by Puk Grasten, who has previously been behind the drama 37.
On a March night in 1964, 37 neighbors in Queens, New York, witness the brutal murder of Kitty Genovese. None of them takes action or calls the police. 37 tells the story of a few of these people and what led up to the night when they unexplainably remained passive observers. The film is a convincing portrayal of a borough in change and a time characterized by racism, the Civil Rights Movement and political shifts. The actual event that inspired the film’s plot has been called a symbol for the moment when America lost its innocence. The director Puk Grasten skillfully weaves into her feature film debut various fates, dreams and family conflicts by leading us through an apartment building that comes to bear a collective failure.
Betty Balloon tells the story of a modern family - who just happen to be balloons. Mom Balloon is an inventor, Dad Balloon runs the home, Bobby Balloon is a super tweenie, and the heart of it all is Betty Balloon, a creative and imaginative four-year-old. Life turns upside down when a cactus family moves in next door. Mom Cactus, Dad Cactus, tweenie sister Karla Cactus and four-year-old Kaj Cactus. The Balloon family must learn to connect with their new neighbours, but it is the children who take the first step when Betty Balloon becomes best friends with Kaj Cactus. In the Betty Balloon universe, it is the kids who teach the adults how to open and stay curious.
March 27th, 1964. The New York Times published an article headlined '37 Who Saw Murder Didn't Call the Police.' For more than half an hour, 37 law abiding citizens in Queens watched their neighbor, Kitty Genovese, being brutally killed outside their apartment building. Florel and Jack Bernstein were among those bystanders. A shirt film.
What if Denmark was ruled by an extreme right-wing government? What if that government declared war against the rest of Scandinavia? What if your mother was sick and you had to escape? What if you lived in a ghetto in Egypt? What if your family chose nationalism over you? Then who would you be?
