Danish author Karen Blixen may be best known for her 1937 memoir “Out of Africa”— widely published under the pen name Isak Dinesen — and from its 1985 Oscar-winning screen adaptation, in which the erstwhile coffee farmer was portrayed by Meryl Streep.
But as the superbly acted drama “The Pact” recounts, Blixen (a formidable Birthe Neumann), in a later life wracked by pain, illness, loneliness and loss, had become a sort of exalted manipulator of souls coasting on wealth, status and a near-legendary gravitas. There was a smoke-and-mirrors aspect to Blixen’s powers that was seemingly all in the service of concocting good stories, even if she wasn’t necessarily writing them herself. (Though long divorced from her baron husband, she continued to be known as “Baroness.”)
Read more here.
DEADLINE EXCLUSIVE:
"Juno Films has claimed North America rights to The Pact, a film from Oscar and Palme d’Or-winning director Bille August (Pelle the Conqueror, House of Spirits), which is based on the true story of Out of Africa author Karen Blixen, planning to release it in U.S. and Canadian theaters in early 2022, followed by a digital release later in the year.
The Pact catches up with Blixen (Birthe Neumann) at age 63, finding her at the pinnacle of her fame and next in line to win the Nobel Prize for literature. It has been 17 years since she gave up her famous farm in Africa, only to return to Denmark with her life in ruins. Devastated by syphilis and having lost the love of her life, she has reinvented herself as a literary sensation. She is an isolated genius, however, until the day she meets talented 30-year-old poet Thorkild Bjørnvig (Simon Bennebjerg), promising him literary stardom if he in return will obey her unconditionally, even at the cost of him losing everything else in his life."
“Andresen’s determination to rise above misfortune, and his hopes for himself, make this movie less than a total tragedy. But it’s an often shudder-inducing cautionary tale.”
In celebration of Earth Day on April 22nd, THE GREAT GREEN WALL is coming to a theater near you, both virtual and physical. Click here to find a theater near you.
A new documentary, Tiny Tim: King for a Day, will examine the life story of the eccentric falsetto-voiced ukulele strummer who had an unexpected novelty hit in 1968 with his rendition of “Tiptoe Through the Tulips.” The film will be released to theaters on April 23rd.
One of Tiny Tim’s biggest fans, “Weird Al” Yankovic, narrates the late Dr. Demento favorite’s diary entries and letters. Tim’s widow, Miss Sue, comedian and activist Wavy Gravy, TV producer George Schlatter, and others, also contributed interviews for the doc. The film also features archival footage of Andy Warhol, Jonas Mekas, and D.A. Pennebaker discussing Tiny Tim’s career.
Read more here.
The once “most beautiful boy in the world” looks back at the tumultuous events following the `71 Cannes premiere of Visconti’s Death in Venice.
THE MOST BEAUTIFUL BOY IN THE WORLD premieres today (Jan. 29) at 12pm (PT).
Follow the Q&A after the screening: youtu.be/ezybiJcc2iw Starting from 1:44 pm (PT).
Industry screenings available for 24h starting Jan. 30.
Second screening is on Sunday, Jan. 31 at 7am (PT).
Juno Films announced today the acquisition of US rights to TOVE, a Finnish biopic about bisexual Swedo-Finnish author and illustrator Tove Jansson, creator of The Moomins. The film, which premiered at TIFF 2020, is directed by Zaida Bergroth (Maria’s Paradise), written by Eeva Putro, and produced by Andrea Reuter and Aleksi Bardy. TOVE broke box office records in Finland last year year in spite of the pandemic, and now ranks as the highest grossing Swedish-language Finnish film in the last 40 years. Juno Films plans to release the film in theaters across America in June, for Pride Month. The deal was negotiated by Elizabeth Sheldon, founding partner and Chief Executive Officer of Juno Films.
Set from 1944 to 1956, the Swedish-language film shows how painter Tove Jansson finds worldwide success from an unexpected side project, in the midst of artistic struggles and an unconventional personal life. Alma Pöysti stars as Jansson, alongside Krista Kosonen and Shanti Roney. Pöysti has previously played Jansson on stage at Helsinki’s Svenska Teatern, and like the artist has dual Swedo-Finnish nationality.
Jansson’s creation, The Moomins, are a family of pale, round fairy tale characters with large snouts. In all, nine books were released in the series, together with five picture books and a comic strip released between 1945 and 1993. The Moomins have since been the basis for numerous television series and films.
"The portrait of the artist Tove Janssen vividly brings to the screen a woman who defied the bourgeois norms of post War Europe to live a life of artistic and sexual freedom,” says Elizabeth Sheldon. “Director Zaida Bergroth’s luscious drama will leave audiences enchanted. We are very proud to add this film to our slate of films by and about bad ass women.”
Juno Films announced today the acquisition of US and Canadian rights to the documentary THE MOST BEAUTIFUL BOY IN THE WORLD, premiering in the World Documentary Competition at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. Directed by Kristina Lindstom and Kristian Petri and produced by Stina Gardell's Stockholm-based Mantaray Film, the film follows former child star Björn Andrésen (Death in Venice), as he wistfully reflects on his life of stardom. Juno Films will release the film in theaters in May 2021. The deal was negotiated by Elizabeth Sheldon, founding partner and Chief Executive Officer of Juno Films. Film Boutique recently announced that they have acquired Worldwide Sales Rights.
THE MOST BEAUTIFUL BOY IN THE WORLD follows Björn Andrésen, who was thrust to international stardom at the age of fifteen based on his iconic looks. In 1969, filmmaker Luchino Visconti travelled throughout Europe looking for the perfect boy to personify absolute beauty in his adaptation for the screen of Thomas Mann’s Death in Venice. One year later he discovered Björn Andrésen, a shy Swedish teenager whom he brought to international fame overnight and led to spend a short but intense part of his turbulent youth between the Lido in Venice, London, the Cannes Film Festival and the so-distant Japan. In 1971 at the London premiere of Death in Venice, the director proclaimed his Tadzio as “The world's most beautiful boy.” Fifty years after the premiere, Björn takes us on a remarkable journey made of personal memories, cinema history, stardust and tragic events in what could be Björn’s last attempt for him to finally get his life back on track.
“We live in a world of celebrity and rarely have the chance to see the intimate and often hidden life behind the image. Bjorn reveals himself on camera layer by layer in a personal quest to both answer his own questions about his childhood and to take responsibility for his actions,” says Elizabeth Sheldon. “In doing so, we are invited in to consider the consequences of sudden stardom and the price of being a celebrated idol.”
“We filmed The Most Beautiful Boy in the World during five years in Stockholm, Copenhagen, Paris, Budapest, Venice, and Tokyo, following in Björn's footsteps,” says director Kristian Petri. Co-director Kristina Lindstrom adds “It is a story about obsession with beauty, about desire and sacrifice, about a boy whose life was changed forever when the film director Luchino Visconti declared him to be the, ‘World’s most beautiful boy.’ Who was this boy and what happened to him? This film lets us listen to the boy's own story. He, who was made into an image by others, an icon, a fantasy, which took over his young life.”
“We are honored to have the world premiere of our film at Sundance,” says producer Stina Gardell. “The film is a palimpsest of cinema history and personal biography that audiences will celebrate. We are thrilled to partner with Elizabeth and Juno Films for the North American release.” Kristina Lindström (director) is a filmmaker, journalist, and author. She has directed highly acclaimed documentaries including Astrid Lindgren (2014), Palme (with Maud Nycander, 2012) which was awarded with two Guldbagge Awards, Wonderboy (2003), The Era - Punk in three parts (2017) and Silence (with Kristian Petri , 2020). Kristian Petri (director) is a filmmaker, writer, and culture journalist with a distinctly personal voice that transcends genre and form. Petri's two shorts, Once Upon a Time and The Crack, were selected for the Semaine de la Critique competition in Cannes in 1991 and 1992. His first feature film Between Summers (1995) was awarded with a Guldbagge Award and nominated for a Golden Globe and to best film at European Film Awards. It was also selected for the prestigious Quinzaine des Realisateurs in Cannes.