Filmmaker Spotlight

When most people think of Danish cinema, the controversial work of Lars von Trier usually comes to mind. August on the other hand has been making quietly powerful and personal cinema for years. Influenced by the early realist films of Fellini (La Strada) and Ken Loach (Family Life), his works often concentrate on personal relationships and heartfelt stories.

His directorial tour de force is Pelle the Conqueror. It includes a heartbreaking performance by Max von Sydow. The story follows the plight of Lasse (Sydow) and his son Pelle as they suffer the hardships of immigrating from Sweden to the Danish island of Bornholm in the 19th century. The film deservedly won an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.

Also of note is August’s adaptation of Ingmar Bergman’s script The Best Intentions–a semi-biographical tale regarding the romance and troubled marriage of Bergman’s parents.