News

Svensk Filmindustri and Miso Film shoots private eye in Norway

2006-08-14 16:40:00

Scandinavian major Svensk Filmindustri''s subsidiary SF Norge and Danish Miso Film produces six features based on best-selling Norwegian author Gunnar Staalesen’s novels about a hard-boiled private eye - VARG VEUM. One of Norway''s most popular actor''s Trond Espen Seim plays the lead as VARG VEUM. Two films will be produced for theatrical releases and four for TV (format: 6 x 90-min.)

SF Norge and Miso Film will produce the films in co-operation with TV2 (Norway), ARD/Degeto Film (Germany), TV4 (Sweden), CANAL+ (Scandinavia), Yle (Finland) with support from Norwegian Film Fund among others. The budget for the project is estimated to € 10.5 million and shooting is scheduled to take off in October 2006.

The stories take place in VARG VEUM’s hometown Bergen, and they both capitalize on and explore the dark side of this scenic west coast city’s picket-fence-and-cobblestone façade.

Gunnar Staalesen’s hard-boiled noir style in his novels is a clear reference to the Raymond Chandler’s classics. The books are known for their wit and suspense, as well as for commenting on social issues that are as heated today as when they were originally scripted into Staalesen’s sophisticated crime plots.

The VARG VEUM books are a tremendous success in Norway and internationally. They have to date been published in 14 different languages. In addition to his novels about VARG VEUM, Gunnar Staalesen has published some 15 novels and plays.

Trond Espen Seim has been Shooting Star in Berlin Film Festival 2005 and was acclaimed by the critics for his performance in the feature "Hawaii, Oslo". Trond has furthermore starred in "I am Dina" and the popular crime series "Svarte Penger, Hvite Løgner".

The talented Norwegian director Ulrik Imtiaz Rolfsen will direct the first feature in the series. Ulrik had his break last year with the action feature "Izzat". In 2005 he was also co-directing the romantic comedy "Import Eksport". Before moving into directing features Rolfsen made a career as a commercial and music video director.

Producer Jonas Allen, Miso Film says –
"Ulrik belongs to the new exiting generation of Norwegian filmmakers and together with Trond Espen Seim, one of Norway’s top actors, I''m convinced that they will give the project an international appeal.”

CEO Guttorm Petterson, SF Norge says -
"This is a really exciting project for us. VARG VEUM is part of the great crime genre tradition, and we have had great success with similar projects within Svensk Filmindustri.”

First theatrical release is planned for autumn 2007. Producers: Jonas Allen and Peter Bose, Miso Film, Denmark

International sales are handled by Svensk Filmindustri
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Telephone: +46 (0)8 680 35 00
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E-mail: international@sf.se